Immune System Dysregulation in Down Syndrome: A Natural History Study of 1299 Individuals

This large natural history study examined immune-related diagnoses in 1299 individuals with Down syndrome versus 2605 controls, finding significantly higher odds of inflammatory/autoimmune conditions (alopecia areata, sepsis, purpura, rosacea) and lower odds of viral infections. The findings suggest Down syndrome involves immune dysregulation that increases susceptibility to autoimmune and inflammatory diseases while paradoxically reducing certain viral infection rates.