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Autoantibodies, genetic mutation behind severe COVID-19 complications

Autoantibodies, genetic mutation behind severe COVID-19 complications
Researchers say that another group of people may also have a genetic mutation that makes their immune system less able to fight off the virus.

According to new researches, genetic mutations and autoantibodies are to blame for severe COVID-19 complications in some people.

Written by Jahnavi Sarma |Published : September 26, 2020 3:30 PM IST

The COVID-19 virus has behaved in an unpredictable manner since it first emerged in China. It has since then spread to all corners of the world. Complications are many and it often not possible to predict who will suffer the most from this viral disease. This virus targets different parts of the body from the skin to the organs. Moreover, some people who carry the virus are also asymptomatic while others exhibit mild to severe symptoms. All this is confusing, and scientists are trying to discover why this happens. They have been trying to find out why some people who get COVID-19 go on to develop severe complications whereas some others who are infected don't even exhibit any symptoms.

Now, new research from the National Institutes of Health and other institutions says that one reason for this may be due to misguided antibodies. According to researchers, some people have antibodies that are misguided. These are called autoantibodies, which attack the immune system instead of attacking the virus that causes COVID-19. Researchers say that another group of people may also have a genetic mutation that makes their immune system less able to fight off the virus. Both groups are unable to mount effective immune responses that rely on what's called type I interferon. This is a group of proteins that protect cells and your body from viruses.

Faulty genes cause severe complications

In one study, researchers found that among nearly 660 people with severe COVID-19, many had variations in 13 genes linked with the body's defense against the virus that causes influenza. More than 3.5 per cent completely lacked a functioning gene. When the researchers looked further, they found that immune cells taken from those 3.5 per cent could not produce any detectable type I interferons when exposed to the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The innate immune system, sometimes called the general immune system, is the body's first line of defense against germs and other foreign invaders. The adaptive immune system, sometimes referred to as the specialized immune system, takes over if the innate immune system can't do the job and attacks the specific germ causing the trouble.

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Autoantibodies are also to blame

In research that looked at about 1,000 patients who had severe COVID-19 pneumonia, more than 10 per cent had autoantibodies against interferon when they first became infected. And 95 per cent of these were men, who have been found in other research to be more likely to get a severe infection. One thing that experts have witnessed is that many people, mostly men, are making autoantibodies that block type 1 interferon. They are unsure as to why this is happening. When this happens, their own body prevents an innate immune response. Much research has been carried on the innate immune system, which plays an important role in stopping the virus. Scientists say that people can be tested for these autoantibodies. This kind of testing can help categorize patients, which will help in deciding the mode of treatments that are needed.

(With inputs from Agencies)