Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory Disease
Autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases occur due to dysregulation of the immune system, leading to inflammation that may affect one or multiple organs. These conditions can be complex and often require specialist immunology input to assist with diagnosis, investigation and long-term management.
Autoimmune diseases
Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system mistakenly targets the body's own tissues. This immune response can lead to chronic inflammation and a wide range of symptoms depending on the organs involved. Autoimmune conditions may present with fatigue, joint pain, skin rashes, unexplained fevers, blood abnormalities or inflammation affecting specific organs. Some conditions are organ-specific, while others are systemic and may involve multiple systems throughout the body.
Autoinflammatory conditions
Autoinflammatory diseases are distinct from autoimmune conditions and are caused by dysregulation of the innate immune system. Unlike autoimmune disease, they typically do not involve autoantibodies. Patients with autoinflammatory conditions may experience recurrent episodes of inflammation characterised by fever, rash, joint pain, abdominal symptoms or elevated inflammatory markers. These episodes may occur without a clear infectious trigger. Some autoinflammatory conditions are genetic, while others may be acquired or idiopathic. Specialist immunology assessment is often required to differentiate these conditions from infection or autoimmune disease.
Symptoms and clinical features
Patients with autoimmune or autoinflammatory disease may present with persistent or recurrent symptoms affecting multiple body systems. These can include fatigue, unexplained fevers, musculoskeletal pain, skin changes, gastrointestinal symptoms or laboratory evidence of inflammation. Because symptoms are often non-specific, careful clinical assessment is required to determine whether an underlying immune-mediated condition is present.
Specialist assessment
At Queensland Allergy & Immunology Clinic, we provide comprehensive evaluation of suspected autoimmune and autoinflammatory disease. Assessment includes a detailed clinical history, review of symptom patterns, and targeted immunology investigations where appropriate. Further testing may include inflammatory markers, autoimmune serology and other specialised immune studies depending on the clinical presentation. The aim is to clarify the underlying diagnosis and guide appropriate management or referral pathways.
Management approach
Management is individualised and depends on the specific diagnosis and severity of disease. This may include symptom control, immunomodulatory therapy, long-term monitoring and coordination with other specialists where required. Because these conditions can evolve over time, ongoing follow-up may be necessary to monitor disease activity and response to treatment.
Queensland Allergy & Immunology Clinic is a specialist allergy and clinical immunology clinic based in Birtinya on the Sunshine Coast, providing expert care for patients across the wider Sunshine Coast region including Kawana, Caloundra, Buderim, Maroochydore, Mooloolaba, Sippy Downs, Coolum, Noosa, Brisbane North, and surrounding areas. We provide both in-person consultations in Birtinya and telehealth appointments across Queensland, with short wait times for specialist allergy and immunology care.