Adaptive Immunity and the Risk of Autoreactivity in COVID-19

While first and foremost considered a respiratory infection, COVID-19 can result in complications affecting multiple organs. Immune responses both protect against the disease as well drive it. Insights into these responses, specifically targets being recognised by immune system, are of vital importance understanding side effects associated pathologies. The body’s adaptive immunity recognises responds specific (antigens) expressed foreign pathogens, but not usually to target self-antigens. However, if system becomes dysfunctional, cells react self-antigens, which autoimmune disease. Viral infections reported be with, or exacerbate, diseases such sclerosis (MS) systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In patients, new onset MS SLE, occurrence other autoimmune-like pathologies, have been reported. Additionally, presence autoantibodies, with without known associations diseases, found. Herein we describe mechanisms virally induced autoimmunity summarise some emerging reports on autoreactivity that is SARS-CoV-2 infection.