Miller-Archie SA, Izmirly PM, Berman JR, et al. - Since the autoimmune disease is an emerging condition among persons exposed to the September 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center (WTC), researchers ascertained if dust exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were correlated with an increased risk of systemic autoimmune diseases (SAID) in a 9/11-exposed cohort. Of the 43,133 registered in the WTC Health Registry, 2,786 self-reported a post-9/11 SAID. One hundred eighteen persons with SAID were identified. The authors discovered that rheumatoid arthritis was most common, followed by Sjӧgren’s syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, myositis, mixed connective tissue disease, and scleroderma. Findings suggested an association of intense dust cloud exposure among responders and PTSD among community members with a statistically significant increased risk of new-onset SAID. Physicians treating 9/11 survivors should be aware of this population's potential increased risk of SAID.