Autoantibodies directed against interferon alpha, nuclear antigens, cardiolipin, and beta 2 glycoprotein 1 are not induced by SARS-CoV-2 or associated with long COVID

Adam Epstein-Shuman; Joanne H. Hunt; Patrizio Caturegli; Patrick Winguth; Reinaldo E. Fernandez; Gracie M. Rozek; Xianming Zhu; Nicholas A. DiRico; Armaan Jamal; Yu-Hsiang Hsieh; Yukari C. Manabe; Andrew D. Redd; Steven J. Reynolds; Annukka A.R. Antar; Oliver Laeyendecker

International Journal of Infectious Diseases (Jan 2025)

Autoantibodies directed against interferon alpha, nuclear antigens, cardiolipin, and beta 2 glycoprotein 1 are not induced by SARS-CoV-2 or associated with long COVID

Adam Epstein-Shuman,
Joanne H. Hunt,
Patrizio Caturegli,
Patrick Winguth,
Reinaldo E. Fernandez,
Gracie M. Rozek,
Xianming Zhu,
Nicholas A. DiRico,
Armaan Jamal,
Yu-Hsiang Hsieh,
Yukari C. Manabe,
Andrew D. Redd,
Steven J. Reynolds,
Annukka A.R. Antar,
Oliver Laeyendecker

Affiliations

Adam Epstein-Shuman: Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
Joanne H. Hunt: Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
Patrizio Caturegli: Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
Patrick Winguth: Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
Reinaldo E. Fernandez: Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
Gracie M. Rozek: Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
Xianming Zhu: Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
Nicholas A. DiRico: Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
Armaan Jamal: Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
Yu-Hsiang Hsieh: Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
Yukari C. Manabe: Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
Andrew D. Redd: Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Steven J. Reynolds: Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Rakai Health Sciences Program, Kalisizo, Uganda
Annukka A.R. Antar: Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
Oliver Laeyendecker: Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Corresponding author: Oliver Laeyendecker, IHSS/LIR/NIAID/NIH, Infectious Diseases, SOM/JHU, Epidemiology, JHSPH, 855 North Wolfe Street, Rangos Building, Room 538A, Baltimore, MD 21205.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 150
p. 107289

Abstract

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Introduction: Autoantibodies (AAbs) directed against interferon alpha (aIFNα), nuclear antigens (ANAs), anti-cardiolipin (aCL), and anti-beta 2 glycoprotein 1 (aβ2GP1), have been demonstrated to significantly correlate with the severity of acute Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, whether severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection induces these AAbs and whether they are associated with long COVID remains unclear. Methods: The potential induction of aIFNα, ANAs, aCL, and aβ2GP1 by SARS-CoV-2 was assessed by measuring these AAbs in 224 pre- and post-infection paired serum samples from the Johns Hopkins Hospital Emergency Department (JHHED). The relationship between these AAbs and long COVID was assessed using 60 serum samples from participants in the Outpatient SARS-CoV-2 Mild and Asymptomatic Infection Response and Transmission study. Results: We found no evidence that these AAbs were induced in the JHHED cohort and no significant difference in their prevalence between patients with (n = 30) and without (n = 30) long COVID in the OutSMART cohort. Conclusion: These findings do not support the hypotheses that SARS-CoV-2 induces these AAbs or that they are related to long COVID.

Published in International Journal of Infectious Diseases

ISSN: 1201-9712 (Print); 1878-3511 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Infectious and parasitic diseases
Website: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-journal-of-infectious-diseases/

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