Medical researchers pinpoint primary factor contributing to COVID-19 fatalities
Let's Dive into the Dark Side of COVID-19's Impact on the Immune System
Never-before-seen immune system disruptions have been linked to the life-threatening complications of COVID-19, according to researchers at Rockefeller University (USA). Their findings, published in Science and reported by Almaty.tv citing Lenta.ru, reveal some alarming details.
Approximately 3.5% of severely ill COVID-19 patients have mutations in genes responsible for antiviral defense. But the real showstopper? Roughly 10% of these patients — that's 101 out of 987 study participants — produce "auto-antibodies," rogue immune system proteins that attack the immune system instead of helping it. It's worth noting that the majority of these patients are men (94%).
So, what's going on here? The researchers identified errors in genes that produce antiviral interferons, essential for our body's defense against viral infections. Without a fully functional set of these molecules, our immune system struggles to keep the virus at bay. In many cases, these interferons become damaged by the auto-antibodies, much like in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or type 1 diabetes.
But it gets even darker. In severe COVID-19 cases, several autoantibodies have been identified that interfere with the immune system's functioning. These include:
- Interferon-Neutralizing Autoantibodies: These bad boys target interferons, crucial for the body's defense against viral infections. Their presence is associated with more severe COVID-19 outcomes, including severe pneumonia, even in vaccinated individuals[4][5].
- Antiphospholipid Antibodies: These have been linked to severe complications in COVID-19, such as thrombosis. They are similar to those found in autoimmune conditions like antiphospholipid syndrome[4].
- Rheumatoid Factors: These autoantibodies are present in 50% of people with severe COVID-19, contributing to immune dysfunction and potentially severe outcomes[1]. They're also a hallmark of autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis[4].
These autoantibodies can wreak havoc on our immune system, making COVID-19 worse by neutralizing essential immune components like interferons[4][5]. This immune dysregulation in COVID-19 shares stark resemblances with autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes, where autoantibodies mistakenly target our own tissues and organs.
In the context of the dark impact of COVID-19 on the immune system, researchers discovered that approximately 10% of severely ill patients produce auto-antibodies, rogue immune system proteins that attack the immune system instead of helping it, similar to some medical-conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or type 1 diabetes [1]. These auto-antibodies can interfere with health-and-wellness by neutralizing essential immune components like interferons [4][5], thus highlighting the need for further studies on therapies-and-treatments to mitigate this immune system disruption.
