COVID-19 Severity and Autoantibody Production

COVID-19 is known to trigger autoantibody production, but researchers are still uncovering how this relates to infection severity. A study published in the Journal of Medical Virology examined the types and levels of autoantibodies produced after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The study analyzed 161 unvaccinated COVID-19 patients (72 with mild cases, 61 with moderate cases, and 28 with severe cases) alongside 77 healthy controls. Researchers measured IgG and IgA antibodies, rheumatoid factor, and ENA antibodies in blood samples collected at comparable time points across groups.

Results showed a clear link between infection severity and autoantibody levels. Patients with mild COVID-19 had only slightly higher autoantibody counts compared to controls. In moderate cases, autoantibody levels rose more significantly, while those with severe infections had the highest levels. Importantly, older patients with severe COVID-19 showed exceptionally high IgA and IgG autoantibodies.

This study suggests that SARS-CoV-2 infection can disturb normal immune tolerance, leading to a severity-dependent increase in autoantibodies. These findings may help explain why some patients develop prolonged immune complications after COVID-19.

Citation:

Baiocchi, G. C., et al. (2023). Cross-sectional analysis reveals autoantibody signatures associated with COVID-19 severity. Journal of medical virology, 95(2), e28538. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmv.28538