Editorial: Case reports in autoimmune and autoinflammatory disorders

Autoimmune and autoinflammatory disorders include a diverse group of multi-system clinical conditions that are characterized by either autoimmunity or exaggerated and persistent inflammatory responses as their basic mechanisms. Technologies for detecting proteins and small molecules, and the development of system analysis for large amounts of data (enhanced by advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence) have played a central role in identifying new auto-antibodies and mediators of inflammation while further contributing to the definition of the new borders of this evolving field. The availability of new drugs, particularly targeted monoclonal antibodies, immunotherapies and cell-based therapies, has also transformed the management of patients who for decades have experienced the effects of less targeted therapies, such as long-term steroids and anti-inflammatory agents. Given that many of these conditions are both rare and heterogeneous in terms of clinical manifestations and immunological drivers, many large clinical trials have sadly failed to achieve the primary endpoint. However, data from case reports, case series and open-label studies have seen many of these agents adopted for use in clinical practice, particularly in severe, refractory, or atypical cases.