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Immunodeficiency & Autoimmune Diseases
Understanding Immunodeficiency & Autoimmune Diseases
Your immune system protects your body against dangerous organisms, such as viruses, bacteria and cancer cells. When these organisms infect an otherwise healthy body, the immune system responds by producing antibodies and special blood cells (called lymphocytes) that attempt to eradicate the infection. When your immune system fails to respond adequately to infection, it's called an immunodeficiency, and you may be immunocompromised. People may also suffer from the opposite condition, an overactive immune system that attacks healthy cells as though they were foreign bodies, and that is called an autoimmune response. Both scenarios can create potentially life-threatening conditions.
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More than 400
types of Primary Immunodeficiency (PI) Diseases
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9-15 years
typical length of time between onset of symptoms and a PI diagnosis
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1 to 2 per 100,000 *
people are diagnosed with CIDP per year
* Unless otherwise indicated, all statistics are global.
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Immunodeficiency
Primary immunodeficiencies are a large group of hereditary or genetic disorders that impair the normal functioning of the cells of the immune system, rendering the patient unable to fight infections.
Secondary immunodeficiencies occur when the immune system is compromised by an external factor, not a genetic one. External factors may include aging, certain types of cancer, procedures such as transplant, and some medications.
Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP)
CIPD is a neurological disorder caused by damage to the myelin sheath of the peripheral nerves. It is often characterized by increasing weakness in the legs and arms.