Research outcomes suggest the crucial role of immune system plasticity, the ability of the immune system to undergo phenotypic and functional changes in response to internal or external factors, in the borderline zone between restoration and homeostasis failure. This plasticity, particularly evidenced by the ability to produce phenotypic variants in response to different environmental factors, is essential for the immune system’s proper functioning.

Few differentiated healthy human cells change their phenotype as markedly as immune cells. The immune system’s importance extends beyond acting as a safeguard against pathogens for homeostasis maintenance. In any scenario, the immune response can mitigate or exacerbate damage.

Autoinflammatory and autoimmune diseases, traditionally separated, are considered to be along an immunological continuum, ranging from autoinflammatory disorders with systemic inflammation and no autoantibodies or autoreactive T lymphocytes to autoimmune disorders with autoantibodies and autoreactive T lymphocytes. The interaction between innate and adaptive immunity likely influences immunopathogenic plasticity, affecting both ends of the immunological spectrum.

Aberrant immune and inflammatory responses to host components, resulting in autoimmunity and autoinflammation, lead to various diseases. Maintaining immune tolerance towards host elements is crucial in keeping immune homeostasis and preventing autoimmune pathology. Healthy cellular and humoral immune responses avoid self-recognition and eliminate pathogens. However, continuous immune hypersensitivity reactions and other injury mechanisms can cause disease, with damage perpetuating due to a dysregulated inflammatory response. This topic aims to examine how immune plasticity influences the pathophysiology, evolution, and treatment of mixed autoinflammatory and autoimmune rheumatic disease.

Systemic rheumatic diseases, a group of diverse autoreactive diseases affecting multiple organs and impacting morbidity and mortality, present great heterogeneity and immunopathogenic plasticity. This discussion will focus on autoinflammation, autoimmunity, and mixed-pattern disorders in rheumatic diseases, particularly those mediated by Th-17 pathogenic mechanisms. IL-17, crucial in defense against extracellular pathogens, is involved in the immunopathogenesis of many rheumatic conditions. This Research Topic accepts Original Research studies, Systematic Reviews, Reviews and Mini-Reviews, Clinical Trials, Brief Research Reports, and Data Reports. We welcome manuscripts focusing on immune plasticity in Th17-mediated rheumatic diseases, including the following sub-topics:

• Psoriatic arthritis
• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Sjögren’s syndrome
• Systemic sclerosis
• Systemic lupus erythematosus

The Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject.

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Frontiers in Immunology

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