SEMI reviews the latest innovations in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

More than 300 therapists from all over the country gathered in Malaga for XVII meeting of the Group Systemic autoimmune diseases (SEGA) belonging Spanish Society of Internal Medicine (SEMI)analyze the main diagnostic and therapeutic developmentsin the treatment of this type of pathology with an eye to advances in the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in its approach, the development of systemic lupus erythematosus and autoinflammatory diseases, in management and training in this field or in the stratification of cardiovascular risk in these pathologies, among many other topics .

One of the main medical and scientific events took place at this meeting. countries to discuss and analyze news about this type of disease, A review was also made of the main events in the development of these pathologies in 2023-2024, special clinical situations in EAS and systemic vasculitis, the development of inflammatory myopathies were analyzed, various seminars and sessions were held to present clinical cases, closed clinical cases and abstracts. The main conference was called “Neoplasia and Autoimmunity” and was held Dr. Juan Jimenez Alonso.

EAS, prevalence and treatment

EAS constitute a large group consisting of more than 30 pathologiesWith The estimated global population prevalence is 1% to 5%. Among EAS, the most common are Sjögren’s syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), sarcoidosis, or antiphospholipid syndrome. Although its origins are not precisely known, all They have a general malfunction in the immune system, which ceases to perform its functions correctly. −protect from external aggression−and continues to cause damage to the tissues and cells themselves.affecting multiple organs and potentially lead to serious clinical situations.

SLE usually affects approximately 20-70 people per 100,000 of the general population. This disease is more common in women, with a female to male ratio of approximately 9 to 1. The prevalence of systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) ranges from 30-120 people per million inhabitants, with a higher incidence also observed in women, with a ratio of approximately 4 to 1. Similarly, the prevalence of Sjögren’s syndrome ranges from 0.1-0.6% population of the world, and women also predominate, with a ratio of approximately 9 women to 1 man. Finally, systemic vasculitis varies in prevalence depending on the specific type of vasculitis, but in general it is estimated to affect from 20-30 people per million inhabitants for the most common types, such as granulomatosis with polyangiitis.

Although there is no cure, they have comprehensive treatments, and infectious complications, vascular complications, or cancer are common. According to Dr. Jose Salvador García Morillo, Coordinator of the SEMI Working Group on Systemic Autoimmune Diseases (GEAS), and Coordinator of the Autoimmune and Minority Diseases Unit of the Internal Medicine Service of the Virgen del Rocío University Hospital (Seville):

“In Spain, this type of pathology affects a significant population, more than 5%, and usually has a chronic and oscillatory course with the development of complications in various organs. Immunomodulatory treatment is common to all of them. Most current treatments are palliative and aim to relieve symptoms and prevent complications.” Regarding EAS issues, consider that most treatments are palliative rather than curative, side effects of treatments that may be effective (immunosuppressants and biologics), resistance or refractoriness to standard treatments, comorbidities, and complications. (often associated with cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis, which further complicates patient management), as well as the need to personalize treatment.

As Dr. Garcia Morillo recalls: “The approach to EAS is as integrative as possible, requiring a holistic approach, and in this sense, a global vision of the patient, guiding the therapist’s work, is key in the approach and treatment of this type of pathology.”

Regarding the diagnostic challenges of EAS, it should be noted that EAS can sometimes have nonspecific, variable symptoms or symptoms superimposed on other clinical conditions, making accurate diagnosis difficult; as well as the lack of specific and sensitive biomarkers, which allows for its early identification; atypical clinical manifestations requiring a high index of clinical suspicion; the need for complex differential diagnosis and delay until final diagnostic confirmation from the moment the first symptoms appear.

The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in EAS

Artificial intelligence can play an important role in EAS by offering innovative tools to improve or assist physicians in the clinical practice, management, and research of these diseases. All this was analyzed at the table. “Advances in the integration of artificial intelligence into the approach to autoimmune diseases”, moderated Dr. Olga Araujoin which it turned out that “Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the field of medicine, and its application in the treatment of systemic autoimmune diseases (SAD) promises to transform the lives of millions of patients around the world.” In this sense it was said that “AI offers tools

to improve diagnosis, personalize treatment and predict the development of these diseases.

Some of the different ways in which artificial intelligence can help in the field of EAS include: More accurate and earlier diagnosis (identifying patterns that may go unnoticed by the human eye); Personalized treatments (by analyzing the individual characteristics of each patient, it is possible to optimize doses and conduct more careful observation and monitoring); Prediction of exacerbations and relapses (with continuous analysis of data, AI can identify warning signs, patterns, or detect early signs of diseases); Telemedicine and remote monitoring (the combination of AI and telemedicine significantly improves access to care for patients with systemic autoimmune diseases); advanced bibliographic search (AI is revolutionizing literature searching and access to medical research); Generative AI-based support systems for systemic autoimmune diseases (especially in the areas of clinical decision support systems and predictive analytics, predicting the course of a disease, preventing complications or planning preventative interventions. Tools such as DxGPT and Glass Health are two examples of how generative AI can improve diagnosis and treatment); Patient education and support (AI can also be a valuable tool for patient education.) Additionally, AI can also help improve clinical efficiency (automation of administrative tasks or virtual assistants).

With all this, Dr. Garcia Morillocomments on this “Integrating artificial intelligence into the treatment of systemic autoimmune diseases not only improves diagnostic accuracy and treatment efficiency, but also gives patients new hope. The ability of artificial intelligence to analyze and learn from large clinical data sets is enabling advances that were previously unimaginable. At the Spanish Society of Internal Medicine, we are committed to promoting research and implementing cutting-edge technologies to improve the lives of patients with systemic autoimmune diseases: “Artificial intelligence is a key element of our mission to transform healthcare and provide them with innovative solutions. who needs it most.”

More information about the XVII meeting on systemic autoimmune diseases of the Spanish Society of Internal Medicine (SEMI), Here.