COVID-19 poses a high risk of autoimmune diseases in the affected people

Mon, 17th Apr, 2023 - 07:45 pm

For decades, scientists have been inspecting how viral infections trigger autoimmune diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic offers an opportunity to explore and study this link and the underlying pathogenesis. SARS-CoV-2 infection leads to a variety of symptoms in the host, mostly, respiratory. However, as studies progressed the spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 infection was observed to range from self-limiting mild infection to critical respiratory distress, with symptoms including fever, cough, myalgia, fatigue, and dyspnea.

In an article co-authored by Prof. Dr. Jagadeesh Bayry (Department of Biological Sciences and Engineering, IIT Palakkad)  published in Nature Reviews Rheumatology, mentions that two large retrospective cohort studies revealed individuals who have had COVID-19 had a significantly higher incidence of autoimmune conditions than those who did not. The autoimmune conditions noted in the studies include rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, vasculitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and type 1 diabetes mellitus. The findings highlight the need for continued research into the molecular basis of COVID-19-related immune dysregulation and the development of effective treatments for autoimmune conditions. The molecular basis of COVID-19-related immune dysregulation is not yet fully understood. However, continued research into this area is essential for the development of effective treatments for autoimmune conditions.

 

Follow this link to read the article:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41584-023-00964-y