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Autoimmune Disorders & COVID-19

Leonardo Freire-de-Lima1, Aline Miranda Scovino2,3, Camilla Cristie Barreto Menezes3

  • 1Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-170, Brazil.

Medicines (Basel, Switzerland)
|October 22, 2021
PubMed

Insights

COVID-19 can worsen due to immune system issues and cytokine storms. Autoimmune diseases can increase COVID-19 severity or arise after infection, highlighting complex interactions.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Autoimmunity

Background:

  • COVID-19 can lead to severe pneumonia and respiratory failure.
  • Immune system deregulation, including cytokine storms, exacerbates COVID-19.
  • Growing evidence explores the bidirectional relationship between autoimmune diseases and COVID-19.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the interplay between autoimmune diseases and COVID-19.
  • To understand how autoimmune conditions influence COVID-19 susceptibility and severity.
  • To explore COVID-19 as a potential trigger for autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on COVID-19 and autoimmune diseases.
  • Analysis of immunological mechanisms linking SARS-CoV-2 infection and autoimmunity.
  • Discussion of genetic factors (host and viral) in disease pathogenesis.

Main Results:

  • Autoimmune diseases can increase COVID-19 complication risk, especially with neutralizing type I IFN autoantibodies.
  • COVID-19 infection can precede the onset of autoimmune conditions like MIS-C, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and AIHA.
  • Host and viral genetics play a role in disease aggravation.

Conclusions:

  • The relationship between COVID-19 and autoimmune diseases is complex and multifaceted.
  • Understanding these interactions is crucial for managing patients with both conditions.
  • Further research into immunological pathways and genetic factors is warranted.

Keywords:
autoimmunitycoronavirus disease 19immune systemviral infections

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