Published in:
Open Access
01-12-2022 | Pneumonia | Correspondence
Prevalence of type-1 interferon autoantibodies in adults with non-COVID-19 acute respiratory failure
Authors:
Rajani Ghale, Natasha Spottiswoode, Mark S. Anderson, Anthea Mitchell, Grace Wang, Carolyn S. Calfee, Joseph L. DeRisi, Charles R. Langelier
Published in:
Respiratory Research
|
Issue 1/2022
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Abstract
Auto-antibodies (Abs) to type I interferons (IFNs) are found in up to 25% of patients with severe COVID-19, and are implicated in disease pathogenesis. It has remained unknown, however, whether type I IFN auto-Abs are unique to COVID-19, or are also found in other types of severe respiratory illnesses. To address this, we studied a prospective cohort of 284 adults with acute respiratory failure due to causes other than COVID-19. We measured type I IFN auto-Abs by radio ligand binding assay and screened for respiratory viruses using clinical PCR and metagenomic sequencing. Three patients (1.1%) tested positive for type I IFN auto-Abs, and each had a different underlying clinical presentation. Of the 35 patients found to have viral infections, only one patient tested positive for type I IFN auto-Abs. Together, our data suggest that type I IFN auto-Abs are uncommon in critically ill patients with acute respiratory failure due to causes other than COVID-19.