Open AccessSARS-COV-2 can induce an alteration of the autoimmune profile
Author(s) -
Maria Cristina Sacchi,
Stefania Tamiazzo,
Paolo Stobbione,
Ernesto Cristiano Lauritano,
Annalisa Roveta,
Roberto Guaschino,
Ramona Bonometti
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
working paper of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2279-9761
DOI - 10.4081/wpph.2020.9246
Subject(s) - autoantibody , autoimmunity , medicine , immunology , antibody , autoimmune disease , disease , covid-19 , interleukin 6 , inflammation , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Objective: The study evaluated the autoimmune profile of COVID-19 positive hospitalised patients. Methods: 40 hospitalised patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 were given clinical chemistry and autoimmunity tests. Results: The 40 patients enrolled in our hospital had elevated levels of common inflammatory markers such as C-Reactive Protein (CRP), Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) and ferritin. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentration was also increased, confirming the key role of this interleukin during severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The most common autoimmunity tests were performed. A significant prevalence of anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA), anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) and anti-Saccaromyces cerevisiae (ASCA IgA and IgG) was found. Patients showing a de novo autoantibody response were those with a worse disease prognosis. Conclusion: Our study shows that COVID-19 infection can trigger an autoimmune response and could induce the onset of autoimmune diseases. These data explain why drugs used to treat autoimmune diseases could also be useful in combating SARS-CoV-2 infection.