CLINICAL AND AUTOIMMUNE CHARACTERISTICS OF COVID-19 PATIENTS IN A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Introduction: Since the end of 2019, the world is witnessing the emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak and pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This disease presented with a wide array of clinical, inflammatory and possible autoimmune manifestations. Currently, a very few data is available about the involvement of autoimmunity in patients affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Aim: To find out the clinical and inflammatory status of COVID-19 patients and whether this disease (SARS-CoV-2) stimulates autoantibody production and contributes to autoimmunity activation.

Methodology: A hospital based retrospective study conducted on 60 COVID-19 patients. All patients were clinically and radiologically evaluated and screened for common inflammatory markers and auto antibodies.

Result: Patients included were 39 men (65%) and 21 women (35%). 33 patients were mild cases, 15 were moderate and 12 were severe cases with a mean age of 44.27. Fever and shortness of breath were the dominant symptoms; most patients had at least one coexisting disorder on admission; the most common characteristic on chest CT was groundglass opacity; the most common findings on laboratory measurements of inflammatory markers were elevated levels of CRP, LDH ,ferritin and altered neutrophil lymphocyte ratio; and prevalence of autoantibodies ,anti SSA/Ro antibody, anti SSB/La antibody, and antinuclear antibody was 20%, 10%, and 15%, respectively and Anti-TPO antibody was positive in 33.3% patients.

Conclusion: We conclude that autoimmune phenomena exist in COVID-19 subjects.