Martin Achleitner, Nina K Mair, Juliane Dänhardt, Romina Kardashi, Milo A Puhan, Irene A Abela, Nicole Toepfner, Katja de With, Waldemar Kanczkowski, Natalia Jarzebska, Roman N Rodionov, Christine Wolf, Min Ae Lee-Kirsch, Charlotte Steenblock, Benjamin G Hale, Stefan R Bornstein
Genetic defects in the interferon (IFN) system or neutralizing autoantibodies against type I IFNs contribute to severe COVID-19. Such autoantibodies were proposed to affect post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS), possibly causing persistent fatigue for >12 weeks after confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. In the current study, we investigated 128 patients with PCS, 21 survivors of severe COVID-19, and 38 individuals who were asymptomatic. We checked for autoantibodies against IFN-α, IFN-β, and IFN-ω. Few patients with PCS had autoantibodies against IFNs but with no neutralizing activity, indicating a limited role of type I IFNs in PCS pathogenesis...
January 2024: Open Forum Infectious Diseases