Advocacy & Awareness for Immune Disorders Association (AAIDA)

Immune Disorders

Primary Immunodeficiency

While there are many types of immune conditions, Primary Immunodeficiency (PI) are rare, genetic defects in the immune system that a person is born with. There are over 350 different types of PI and about 250,000 people in the U.S alone who are affected by them. This means that a person has an immune system that doesn’t function properly or part of it is missing all together.

Currently, there is no cure for this group of diseases. The treatment comes in the form of life-long replacement therapy called IVIG (intravenous immunoglobulin) or SCIG (subcutaneous immunoglobulin), which a person receives every 3-4 weeks (IVIG) or possibly every week (SCIG).

Secondary Immunodeficiency

Acquired or Secondary Immunodeficiency is something that an individual may get later in life (acquired), possibly due to an infection (such as a virus) or other outside factors such as cancer treatments. Various medications can also potentially breakdown a part of a persons immune system. Current treatment depends on the underlying disease state.

Autoimmune Diseases

Autoimmune Diseases are when the body attacks it’s own tissue and cells (auto=self) and can destroy it. This is sometimes caused by an overactive immune system and can effect any part of the body’s tissue and organs. Currently, there are about 90 different autoimmune diseases that have been identified. Autoimmune diseases affect over 23 million people in the U.S.