by Daniel Brouse
Not only is COVID-19 known to cause immune system disorders, post-COVID also increases the risk of autoimmune disease.
There are multiple ways COVID has been shown to weaken the immune system (Immunocompromised) including: Destruction of Good Gut Bacteria Resulting in a Compromised Immune System, Dysfunctional Kynurenine Pathway, Down Regulating NAD+, Up Regulating IDO, Rogue Antibodies, Exacerbates Underlying Conditions, and Post–COVID-19 Associated with Immune Cell Infiltration and Altered Gene Expression.
Autoimmunity does not mean the same thing as immunocompromised. When you are immunocompromised, your immune system is under-performing. If you are immunocompromised, you have a weakened immune system with a reduced ability to fight infections and other diseases. Autoimmune diseases are usually associated with an overactive immune system that mistakenly attacks healthy cells. COVID can cause both immunocompromised conditions and autoimmunity diseases. “COVID-19 itself shares some similarities with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases, which could be a challenge for diagnostics.”
The matched cohort study Incident autoimmune diseases in association with a SARS-CoV-2 infection found:
Incident autoimmune diseases in association with a SARS-CoV-2 infection
“We found a 42.63% higher likelihood of acquiring autoimmunity for patients who had suffered from COVID-19.”
Conclusions SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with an increased risk of developing new-onset autoimmune diseases after the acute phase of infection.
A study published in the journal Lancet Risk of autoimmune diseases in patients with COVID-19 found:
“After matching, the COVID-19 cohort exhibited significantly higher risks of rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, dermatopolymyositis, systemic sclerosis, Sjögren’s syndrome, mixed connective tissue disease, Behçet’s disease, polymyalgia rheumatica, vasculitis, psoriasi, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, type 1 diabetes mellitus and mortality.”
The study, titled “Iron Dysregulation and Inflammatory Stress Erythropoiesis Associated with Long-Term Outcome of COVID-19,” reveals that Long-COVID is linked to elevated levels of C-reactive protein and prolonged elevation of cytokines compared to healthy controls. Iron dysregulation is a common occurrence after infections, as the body swiftly moves iron out of the bloodstream to prevent it from becoming a potential breeding ground for harmful bacteria. The study suggests that defects in iron homeostasis, dysregulated erythropoiesis, and immune dysfunction resulting from COVID-19 may contribute to inefficient oxygen transport, inflammatory imbalances, and persistent symptoms. The information on autoimmune diseases emphasizes that an excessive release of cytokines, which are signaling molecules involved in immune responses, can lead to an exaggerated inflammatory response. This heightened inflammation has the potential to damage tissues and contribute to autoimmune diseases, where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells.
Also see: COVID-19 Compromises Your Immune System (Immunocompromised)