Web resources for rare auto-inflammatory diseases: towards a common patient registry

Objectives. To review information resources on rare auto-inflammatory disorders (AIDs) for use by health care professionals, focusing particularly on patient registries. Methods. Using relevant key words, we surveyed the websites of several scientific societies of immunology, paediatrics and rheumatology, as well as Pubmed and specialized databases for AIDs. Results. The Internet provides a wide variety of information related to AIDs. Moreover, several other initiatives have been undertaken to create new resources for professionals. We reviewed six patient registries for rare AIDs, taking a special interest in the submission questionnaire. We revealed a wide overlap between the items used in the questionnaires, whereas the currently available registries appeared inappropriate for AIDs patients with complex or undefined diagnosis. Conclusions. AIDs share common clinical features, pathophysiological pathways and therapeutic approaches. Although several resources are now available for rare AIDs, a unique and dedicated site gathering all aspects of these diseases as a whole is still lacking, i.e. covering research as well as the needs of AIDs patients and health care professionals. Our study thus advocates a merging of existing patient registries or the creation of a common database.