Karolinska Institutet study reveals genetic clusters in autoimmune diseases

Researchers from the Karolinska Institutet and collaborating institutions have identified an extensive network of genetic connections between various autoimmune diseases. The study, published in ‘The Journal of Clinical Investigation’, suggests that these diseases do not stem from a single common genetic vulnerability but instead form distinct genetic clusters based on the tissues or organs they affect.

By analyzing data from Swedish national registers involving over 6.3 million individuals born between 1932 and 1983, including nearly 3.84 million sibling pairs, the team studied 22 different autoimmune diseases. The findings revealed that connective tissue diseases, endocrine autoimmune diseases, and autoimmune gastrointestinal diseases each form separate genetic clusters. In contrast, diseases affecting the nervous system exhibited weaker genetic links to one another.

The research highlights that while autoimmune diseases often run in families, the specific genetic overlap is organized by physiological systems rather than a universal autoimmune predisposition.