Authors: Yu Liu,aAmr H. Sawalha,b and Qianjin Lua,cAuthor information Copyright and License information Disclaimer This article has been cited by other articles in PMC.
Abstract
Purpose of review
The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between infection with SARS-CoV-2 and autoimmunity.
Recent findings
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) associated coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Although most of the infected individuals are asymptomatic, a proportion of patients with COVID-19 develop severe disease with multiple organ injuries. Evidence suggests that some medications used to treat autoimmune rheumatologic diseases might have therapeutic effect in patients with severe COVID-19 infections, drawing attention to the relationship between COVID-19 and autoimmune diseases. COVID-19 shares similarities with autoimmune diseases in clinical manifestations, immune responses and pathogenic mechanisms. Robust immune reactions participate in the pathogenesis of both disease conditions. Autoantibodies as a hallmark of autoimmune diseases can also be detected in COVID-19 patients. Moreover, some patients have been reported to develop autoimmune diseases, such as Guillain–Barré syndrome or systemic lupus erythematosus, after COVID-19 infection. It is speculated that SARS-CoV-2 can disturb self-tolerance and trigger autoimmune responses through cross-reactivity with host cells. The infection risk and prognosis of COVID-19 in patients with autoimmune diseases remains controversial, but patient adherence to medication regimens to prevent autoimmune disease flares is strongly recommended.
Summary
We present a review of the association between COVID-19 and autoimmune diseases, focusing on similarities in immune responses, cross-reactivity of SARS-CoV-2, the development of autoimmune diseases in COVID-19 patients and the risk of COVID-19 infection in patients with preexisting autoimmune conditions.
INTRODUCTION
Since December 2019, a novel infection named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) broke out in Wuhan, China, and has been sweeping across the globe. COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic by WHO on 11 March 2020 [1]. The disease is caused by a newly identified strain of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) associated coronavirus, which was named SARS-CoV-2 after SARS-CoV that caused the epidemic of SARS in 2002 [2].
SARS-CoV-2 belongs to the coronavirus family, which are enveloped viruses with a spherical morphology and a single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) genome [3]. The spike glycoproteins (S protein) cross through the peplos of the virus and form a crown-like surface [4]. Through the receptor binding domain (RBD) located in the S1 subunit of the S protein, the virus can ligate to the host cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and invade into the cell [5–7].
In many cases, hosts infected by SARS-CoV-2 present with flu-like symptoms, such as fever, fatigue and dry cough. Headache, myalgia, sore throat, nausea and diarrhoea can also be seen in patients with COVID-19 [8,9]. Shortness of breath and hypoxemia occur in severe cases. In critical cases, the disease progresses rapidly and patients can develop septic shock and multiorgan dysfunction [10]. As such, COVID-19 can be a systemic disease affecting multiple organ systems, including the skin, kidneys, respiratory system, cardiovascular system, digestive system, nervous system and haematological system [11]. The dysregulated immune response and increased pro-inflammatory cytokines induced by SARS-CoV-2 contribute to the disease pathogenesis and organ damage, which brought attention to immune-regulatory therapy in the treatment of COVID-19 [12]. Medications used to treat autoimmune diseases are widely used in critical cases of COVID-19 [13]. Further, some autoantibodies can be detected in patients with COVID-19 [14]. These observations suggest that examining pathways known to contribute to the pathogenesis of autoimmunity might provide clues to better understand and treat COVID-19.
For More Information: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7880581/