Autoimmune Manifestations in a Cohort of Egyptian COVID-19 Patients

Abstract

Abstract Introduction COVID-19 infection can result in a range of symptoms, from asymptomatic to severe, requiring intensive care and ventilatory support. Research has explored the association between COVID-19 and autoimmune conditions, including the detection of autoantibodies in COVID-19 patients. However, results are not conclusive, prompting us to conduct a cross-sectional study to evaluate the prevalence of autoimmune rheumatic manifestations in a cohort of Egyptian individuals diagnosed with COVID-19. Methods Ninety individuals with COVID-19 were included in the study. Patients were classified based on WHO criteria and laboratory data was collected. Autoimmune markers (ANA, RF, ACL IgM, ACL IgG) were measured and patients were grouped based on positive and negative results. Correlational analysis was conducted to assess the association between each marker and clinical severity of COVID-19 and autoimmune rheumatological manifestations. Results Of the studied patients, 13.3% had a positive ANA, 15.6% had a positive RF, 8.9% had a positive ACL IgM, and 5.6% had a positive ACL IgG. However, there was no statistically significant difference between severity groups regarding the results of ANA, RF, ACL IgM, and IgG. All patients with a positive ANA were present among severe and critical COVID-19 cases, and all patients with positive RF, ACL IgM, or ACL IgG were among moderate, severe, and critical cases. Conclusion Our study provides insight into the prevalence of autoimmune rheumatic manifestations in COVID-19 patients. While our results were inconclusive regarding the association between autoimmune markers and severity of disease, we found a statistically significant higher prevalence of several symptoms in critical COVID-19 patients. Our study highlights the importance of further investigation into the relationship between COVID-19 and autoimmune conditions.