Lung Covid patients show signs of an autoimmune disease in their blood, as Canadian scientists have now shown. Antibodies are apparently formed that target the patient’s own tissue, Manali Mukherjee of McMaster University (Ontario) and Chris Carlsten (University of British Columbia/Vancouver) reported in the newly published issue of the European Respiratory Journal.
“Although Lung Covid is now recognized as a disease by the World Health Organization (WHO), we still know little about its causes and how we can possibly help patients,” Mukherjee said on the occasion of the publication of the study results. The scientists included 106 people who had contracted Covid-19 between August 2020 and September 2021 in their study. There were also 22 healthy subjects and 34 people suffering from another respiratory infection.
Targeted against own tissue
The study participants were questioned and extensively examined after three, six and twelve months. Blood was also taken from them and examined for so-called autoantibodies, antibodies that are directed against their own tissue. The result: 80 percent of Covid 19 patients had two or more such antibodies in their blood three and six months after the disease. Only after a year did this share fall to 41 percent. In contrast, in the two control groups, there was little or no evidence of such an immune response.
Fatigue, breathing problems
The Canadian scientists assume that autoantibodies (e.g. U1snRNP and Ssb-La autoantibodies and certain immune messengers), as found in at least 30 percent of patients after Covid-19, lead to a chronic inflammatory response with states of exhaustion and can lead to respiratory problems. Chris Carlsten: “Our data – like the studies of other scientists – point to the development of autoantibodies and Lung Covid as a systemic disease.” This also brings Long Covid close to rheumatic diseases, which are also based on autoimmune processes.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
