Risk surveillance and mitigation: autoantibodies as triggers and inhibitors of severe reactions to SARS-CoV-2 infection

• Published in: Molecular medicine (Cambridge, Mass.) Vol. 27; no. 1; p. 160
• Main Authors: Chen, Catherine, Amelia, Aisah, Ashdown, George W, Mueller, Ivo, Coussens, Anna K, Eriksson, Emily M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central 20.12.2021; BMC
• Subjects: Animals; Autoantibodies; Autoantibodies - immunology; Autoantibodies - metabolism; Autoimmunity; Autoimmunity - physiology; COVID-19; COVID-19 - complications; COVID-19 - immunology; COVID-19 - metabolism; Humans; Mini-Review; SARS-CoV-2; SARS-CoV-2 - immunology; SARS-CoV-2 - metabolism; Autoimmunity; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Autoantibodies
• ISSN: 1076-1551; 1528-3658
• DOI: 10.1186/s10020-021-00422-z

COVID-19 clinical presentation differs considerably between individuals, ranging from asymptomatic, mild/moderate and severe disease which in some cases are fatal or result in long-term effects. Identifying immune mechanisms behind severe disease development informs screening strategies to predict who are at greater risk of developing life-threatening complications. However, to date clear prognostic indicators of individual risk of severe or long COVID remain elusive. Autoantibodies recognize a range of self-antigens and upon antigen recognition and binding, important processes involved in inflammation, pathogen defence and coagulation are modified. Recent studies report a significantly higher prevalence of autoantibodies that target immunomodulatory proteins including cytokines, chemokines, complement components, and cell surface proteins in COVID-19 patients experiencing severe disease compared to those who experience mild or asymptomatic infections. Here we discuss the diverse impacts of autoantibodies on immune processes and associations with severe COVID-19 disease.