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Persistent Risk of Developing Autoimmune Diseases Associated With COVID-19: An Observational Study Using an

Shoichiro Inokuchi1, Koji Shimamoto

  • 1From the Research and Analytics Department, Real World Data Co, Ltd, Kyoto, Japan.

Journal of Clinical Rheumatology : Practical Reports on Rheumatic & Musculoskeletal Diseases
|January 8, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) significantly increases the risk of developing autoimmune diseases in Japan, with risks persisting long-term. This association holds across various COVID-19 variants and specific autoimmune conditions.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Emerging evidence suggests viral infections can trigger autoimmune responses.
  • The long-term impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on autoimmune disease development requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between COVID-19 and the risk of developing autoimmune diseases in Japan.
  • To examine both short-term and long-term risks, as well as variant-specific risks.

Main Methods:

  • Observational study utilizing a Japanese electronic medical record database.
  • Comparison of autoimmune disease incidence between COVID-19 patients and a non-COVID-19 cohort.
  • Risk assessment using standardized mortality ratio weighting and Cox proportional hazards models, with subgroup analyses for variants and timeframes.

Main Results:

  • A total of 90,855 COVID-19 patients and 459,827 controls were analyzed.
  • COVID-19 was associated with a 2.32-fold increased relative risk of any autoimmune disease.
  • Significant risks were observed for specific diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, and IgG4-related disease, with substantial long-term risks for the latter two.

Conclusions:

  • COVID-19 is linked to a persistent, increased risk of autoimmune diseases in the Japanese population.
  • The findings highlight a significant long-term association between viral infections and autoimmunity.
  • Variant-specific risks and long-term implications warrant continued monitoring.
Abstract

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