Accumulating evidence shows that SARS-CoV-2 can potentially trigger autoimmune processes, which can be responsible for the long-term consequences of COVID-19. Therefore, this paper aims to review the autoantibodies reported in COVID-19 convalescents. Six main groups were distinguished: (i) autoantibodies against components of the immune system, (ii) autoantibodies against components of the cardiovascular system, (iii) thyroid autoantibodies, (iv) autoantibodies specific for rheumatoid diseases, (v) antibodies against G-protein coupled receptors, and (vi) other autoantibodies. The evidence reviewed here clearly highlights that SARS-CoV-2 infection may induce humoral autoimmune responses. However, the available studies share number of limitations, such as: (1) the sole presence of autoantibodies does not necessarily implicate the clinically-relevant risks, (2) functional investigations were rarely performed and it is often unknown whether observed autoantibodies are pathogenic, (3) the control seroprevalence, in healthy, noninfected individuals was often not reported; thus it is sometimes unknown whether the detected autoantibodies are the result of SARS-CoV-2 infection or the accidental post-COVID-19 detection, (4) the presence of autoantibodies was rarely correlated with symptoms of the post-COVID-19 syndrome, (5) the size of the studied groups were often small, (6) the studies focused predominantly on adult populations, (7) age- and sex-related differences in seroprevalence of autoantibodies were rarely explored, (8) genetic predispositions that may be involved in generation of autoantibodies during SARS-CoV-2 infections were not investigated, and (9) the autoimmune reactions following infection with SARS-CoV-2 variants that vary in the clinical course of infection remain unexplored. Further longitudinal studies are advocated to assess the link between identified autoantibodies and particular clinical outcomes in COVID-19 convalescents.
Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; autoimmunity; long COVID; pandemic; post-COVID-19 syndrome.
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