Autoimmune Diseases

Those with Autoimmune Conditions Have Higher Long Covid Risk

In a study called “pre-existing conditions associated with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19” published in the Journal of Autoimmunity, researchers investigated which pre-existing conditions increase the risk of a person developing long COVID. They analyzed data from 1224 patients who participated in the COVID-19 study in Arizona called CoVHORT. The statistical analysis showed respiratory, gastrointestinal, and autoimmune conditions associated with the increased risk for long COVID.

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Risk of Developing Autoimmune Disease Following COVID-19 Infection

A recent study exploring the association between COVID-19 infection and the risk of developing autoimmune diseases was conducted by a team of researchers from various institutions in Taiwan using data from the “TriNetX database, which holds the largest global COVID-19 dataset.” The team analyzed the medical record data of 3.8 million patients in the U.S., of which 888,460 had received a COVID-19 diagnosis (polymerase chain reaction–confirmed) between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021.

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COVID-19 Severity and Autoantibody Production

To better characterize the immunopathology of COVID-19, researchers studied the range of autoantibodies triggered by a SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as infection severity. Generally, the autoantibodies in patients with mild COVID-19 only slightly differed compared to healthy controls. Patients with moderate COVID-19 exhibited more elevated autoantibody counts, whereas those with severe COVID-19 were observed to have the highest levels of autoantibodies.

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COVID-19 Risk Factors & Mortality in SLE Patients

“Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is uniquely poised at crossroads between the dysregulated immune system and the risk of viral infections, especially in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic.” Researchers in India studied the impact of common SLE immunosuppressive drugs in SLE patents with COVID-19, as well as risk factors associated with COVID-19 in this patient population.

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