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. 2024 Jan-Dec:38:3946320241260295.
doi: 10.1177/03946320241260295.

Prevalence of cutaneous manifestations and myositis-specific antibodies in COVID-19 patients and Anti-PL7 antibodies association with pulmonary radiological severity: A retrospective study

Giorgio Alberto Oddenino  1   2 , Paola Canepa  2 , Emanuele Cozzani  1   2 , Giulia Gasparini  1   2 , Alessandro Garlaschi  2   3 , Luca Roccatagliata  2   3 , Irene Schiavetti  4 , Aurora Parodi  1   2
Affiliations

Prevalence of cutaneous manifestations and myositis-specific antibodies in COVID-19 patients and Anti-PL7 antibodies association with pulmonary radiological severity: A retrospective study

Giorgio Alberto Oddenino et al. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2024 Jan-Dec.

Abstract

Background: Dermatomyositis (DM) is an idiopathic immune-mediated myopathy, and may involve many organs, including muscles, skin and lungs. Myositis-specific autoantibodies (MSAs) are a useful aid in diagnosis DM and identifying its clinical subtype. During the COVID-19 pandemic, several studies found clinical similarities regarding lung involvement in both COVID-19 and DM. Such similarities have prompted speculation of a common pathogenetic mechanism. Indeed, viral infections are well-known triggers of autoimmune diseases. This prompted us to investigate whether circulating MSAs could be markers of the severity of lung involvement and of clinical outcome in COVID-19 patients. Moreover, we investigated the presence of cutaneous signs of DM in COVID-19 patients.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study on 178 hospitalized patients affected by COVID-19. The diagnosis was confirmed by naso-pharyngeal swab positivity for SARS-CoV-2. The severity of lung involvement was assessed by assigning to each patient a radiological score ranging from 1 to 4, based on chest imaging (chest X-rays or CT scans). Serum samples were tested for MSAs.

Results: Anti-PL-7 antibodies were detected in 10.1% of patients and were found to be associated with an increased risk of severe pulmonary involvement (p = 0.019) and a worse prognosis in COVID-19 patients. Cutaneous lesions were observed in 26.4% of patients. However, none were cutaneous manifestations of DM.

Conclusions: The detection of anti-PL7 antibodies might predict severe pulmonary involvement and a worse prognosis in COVID-19 patients.

Keywords: COVID-19 patients; anti-PL7 antibodies; dermatomyositis; myositis specific autoantibodies; prognosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Anti-PL-7 antibody is the only myositis-specific autoantibody associated with an increased risk of a severe lung involvement. Anti-PL-7: anti-threonyl-tRNA synthetase.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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