TDNet Discover

Background: Viral illness as a precedent for autoimmune response is a concept that has been well established. With this most recent viral pandemic of the novel SARS-CoV-2 researchers were curious as to the repercussions of exposure and investigated any potential link between SARS and new onset of autoimmune disorders. Purpose: The purpose of this research is to determine if there is a correlation between initial COVID-19 infection prior to vaccination and the incidence of autoimmune response or disease among patients of any age. Methods: Three independent researchers implemented an evidence based clinical review (EBCR) processes that resulted in the three articles provided in this review. The researchers utilized Elsevier, PLOS ONE, and PubMed in the search for articles. Search parameters included articles written in the past 10 years, meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and human subjects. The articles underwent a thorough data analysis and quality assessment and were deemed of fair-good quality based on the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s quality assessment tool. In this review, the terms COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 will be used interchangeably. Results: There is a strong correlation between COVID-19 diagnosis and autoimmune response or disease. Patients with COVID-19 had a significant prevalence for antinuclear antibody (ANA), antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA), and anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies (ASCA) IgA antibodies to healthy subjects. COVID-19 positive patients had a significantly higher risk of developing various autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis by the 6 month follow-up visit. The risk of new-onset type 1 diabetes after COVID-19 infection was 42% greater than that of COVID-19 negative population. iv Conclusion: Overall, the research presented indicates a connection between autoimmune response and COVID-19 infection;however, further investigation is necessary to establish the causal relationship between the two.