Type 1 interferon auto-antibodies are elevated in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis

Clin Exp Immunol. 2023 Oct 31:uxad119. doi: 10.1093/cei/uxad119. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTPatients with decompensated liver cirrhosis, in particular those classified as Childs-Pugh class C, are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 upon infection with SARS-CoV-2. The biological mechanisms underlying this are unknown. We aimed to examine the levels of serum intrinsic antiviral proteins as well as alterations in the innate antiviral immune response in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis. Serum from 53 SARS-CoV-2 unexposed and unvaccinated individuals, with decompensated liver cirrhosis undergoing assessment for liver transplantation, were screened using SARS-CoV-2 pseudoparticle and SARS-CoV-2 virus assays. The ability of serum to inhibit interferon (IFN) signalling was assessed using a cell-based reporter assay. Severity of liver disease was assessed using two clinical scoring systems, the Child-Pugh class and the MELD-Na score. In the presence of serum from SARS-CoV-2 unexposed patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis there was no association between SARS-CoV-2 pseudoparticle infection or live SARS-CoV-2 virus infection and severity of liver disease. Type I IFNs are a key component of the innate antiviral response. Serum from patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis contained elevated levels of auto-antibodies capable of binding IFN-α2b compared to healthy controls. High MELD-Na scores were associated with the ability of these auto-antibodies to neutralise ...
Source: Clinical and Developmental Immunology - Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Source Type: research