The effect of COVID-19 on patients with preexisting autoimmune diseases

ABSTRACT

In December 2019, a new Coronavirus called Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), appeared in China, spreading rapidly around the globe and becoming a pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 is the cause of a serious life-threatening disease known as COVID-19. The risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with preexisting systemic autoimmune diseases (AID) appears to be slightly higher than in the general population, but the clinical course does not appear to be different. However, we must bear in mind that the use of corticosteroids, immunomodulatory drugs, and biological therapy in patients with AID can modulate the risk of hospitalization and death. The alterations in the innate and adaptive immune response found in patients with cytokine storm due to COVID-19 are the reasons for the high morbidity and mortality. Thus, clinicians should early identify the symptoms and closely monitor patients with risk factors for developing these complications and the interactions with other systems such as the immune-neuro-endocrine system. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.