Hello, autoimmune disease is a health condition in which your body’s immune system attacks its own cells and tissues. According to various studies, genes do play an important role in causing autoimmune diseases. Results Autoimmune disorders have a complex genetic basis; multiple genes contribute to disease risk, each with generally modest effects independently. In addition, it is now clear that common genes underlie multiple autoimmune disorders. My father suffers from an autoimmune disease like Rheumatoid arthritis, am I at risk of getting it? Can autoimmune diseases be passed down genetically?