Research Advances in Epidemiology of Autoimmune Diseases in China

Autoimmune diseases (ADs) are a group of chronic diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, etc., which are characterized by loss of immunological tolerance to autoantigens, resulting in damage to specific target organs or multiple organ systems. The chronic nature of these diseases imposes a significant disease burden on the utilization of medical care, direct and indirect financial costs, and quality of life. The etiology of ADs has not been fully elucidated yet. Thus, epidemiological studies of ADs can help us better understand the potential risk factors for the development of ADs and enable us to plan health services to cope with a significant disease burden. In the past few decades, there are outstanding achievements in the epidemiology of ADs in China. This chapter aims to summarize the epidemiological characteristics and key risk factors of some common ADs in China, so as to provide some new insights for understanding these diseases.