Correspondence on 'Clinical course of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a series of 17 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus under long-term treatment with hydroxychloroquine

Mathian et al described the clinical course and heterogeneity of COVID-19 in 17 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients.1 SLE subjects could be at higher risk of developing COVID-19, with more severe symptomatology and need for hospitalisation due to multiple underlying risk factors.1 2 Type-I interferons (IFN), including IFNα, play fundamental roles in immunity and are crucial in antiviral responses.3 Defects in IFN signalling pathways, secondary to monogenic inborn errors or to blocking autoantibodies, promote immunodeficiency and recurrent infections.4 5 Dysregulation in type-I IFN pathway also plays key pathogenic roles in SLE.6 A recent report showed association between anti-type-I IFN autoantibodies in 10% of subjects with life-threatening COVID-19 in the general population.7 A comprehensive evaluation of multiple anticytokine autoantibodies showed the presence of anti-type-I IFN autoantibodies in 11% of SLE subjects in the pre-COVID-19...
Source: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases - Category: Rheumatology Authors: Tags: ARD, COVID-19 Correspondence Source Type: research