Anti-Type I Interferon Autoantibodies in COVID-19 and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Comparative Review

Type I interferons (IFN-I), including IFN-α, IFN-β, and IFN-ω, are central to antiviral defence and immune regulation. Autoantibodies targeting IFN-I (anti-IFN-I AAbs) have emerged as key pathogenic factors in severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and are detectable in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a prototypic IFN-driven autoimmune disease. Here we compare the prevalence and clinical impact of anti-IFN-I autoantibodies (Aabs) in COVID-19 and SLE based on a structured review of 53 studies from 2014 to 2025 and highlight the clinical associations and therapeutic opportunities presented by these autoantibodies. In COVID-19, neutralising anti-IFN-α and/or anti-IFN-ω AAbs were consistently associated with severe disease and impaired antiviral responses, particularly in older male populations. In SLE, anti-IFN-α AAbs were variably detected; neutralising antibodies were associated with reduced interferon gene signatures in some cohorts but inconsistent correlations with disease activity. Therapeutically, anti-IFN-I AAbs in COVID-19 may inform risk stratification and early antiviral strategies, whereas in SLE, IFN-α blockade, including IFN-α kinoid vaccination, demonstrates modulation of IFN signatures but variable clinical benefit. Notably, these findings reveal an immunological paradox: the same neutralising mechanism that impairs antiviral defence in COVID-19 may attenuate chronic IFN-driven inflammation in SLE. Taken together, anti-IFN-I AAbs exert context-dependent effects: pathogenic in acute viral infection yet potentially modulatory in chronic IFN-driven autoimmunity. Prospective longitudinal studies are required to further clarify their translational utility and long-term clinical impact.