Work

Prevalence and association of type I IFN autoantibodies with clinical outcomes in critically ill Brazilian COVID-19 patients

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Anti-type I interferon (IFN) autoantibodies (auto-Abs) impair antiviral immunity and have been associated with critical COVID-19. However, their prevalence and impact in Latin American populations remain incompletely delineated. This study assessed the prevalence of auto-Abs neutralizing 10 ng/mL IFN-α2 and IFN-ω in critically ill COVID-19 patients from a Brazilian cohort and their association with clinical outcomes. Among 209 patients, 14 (6.7%) tested positive, including 9.4% of deceased individuals. The proportion was 13.2% in patients older than 65 years. These individuals exhibited increased MIP-1β levels, altered hematological parameters, and low IFN-α levels. Survival analysis indicated shorter hospitalization survival times in auto-Ab-positive patients (log-rank = 0.01). The prevalence aligns with global reports, predominantly affecting older individuals. Our findings highlight the association between type I IFN auto-Abs and worse clinical outcomes, emphasizing the need for further studies to understand their biological role and clinical implications.

Source: Journal of Human Immunity

DOI: 10.70962/jhi.20250031