Autoimmune diseases (ADs) occur when the immune system is mistakenly activated and attacks self antigens present in our body, leading to tissue destruction. Increasing prevalence of ADs is not only a problem for the affected patients but also causes enormous economic burden to the society. Genetic, environmental and epigenetic factors, and interactions between them contribute to the clinical disease outcome. Although most of these diseases are polygenic and multifactorial, and the clinical spectrum differs significantly between the ADs, shared genes and pathogenic pathways attacking specific...