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t1-IFNs in the patient's blood samples. They found that 10 out of the 123 patients had these auto-antibodies. Among these 10 patients, 8 were classified as having a severe case of COVID-19, while the other 2 had a moderate case. This suggests a potential correlation between the presence of auto-antibodies targeting t1-IFNs and COVID-19 severity. Further studies are warranted to confirm these findings and explore potential treatment options for patients with these auto-antibodies.
Even though COVID-19 manifests as a mild and short-lived disease in most people, some suffer extremely severe symptoms; in the worst cases, these patients die due to complications such as respiratory failure or thromboembolism. It is well-known that factors such as age and underlying medical conditions like diabetes or immunodeficiencies increase vulnerability to severe COVID-19. However, some patients still experience severe COVID-19 without any apparent reason.
One possible explanation may lie in auto-antibodies, which are antibodies that erroneously target specific proteins produced by one’s own body. In normal circumstances, type I interferons (or ‘t1-IFNs’) play a crucial role in the body’s defense against viral infections; they interfere with viral replication and help mobilize the immune system. However, auto-antibodies against t1-IFNs can neutralize their activity, compromising the body’s defense mechanisms. While detecting these auto-antibodies was uncommon before COVID-19, there have been multiple reports of severe COVID-19 patients bearing them since the pandemic started. Could auto-antibodies targeting t1-IFNs be more common than previously thought?
To answer this question, a research team, including Lecturer Chiaki Iwamura from Chiba University, Japan, investigated whether and how auto-antibodies targeting t1-IFNs are related to COVID-19 severity by analyzing blood samples from 123 Japanese patients. Their findings were published in Volume 44 of the Journal of Clinical Immunology on April 22, 2024. This research was co-authored by Dr. Kiyoshi Hirahara and Dr. Koutaro Yokote from Chiba University, as well as Dr. Ami Aoki from Niigata University.Â
The researchers first conducted an enzyme immunoassay to detect auto-antibodies to