Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Dec 03, 2025 39 minutes ago
Medical News: A new international meta-analysis has found alarming evidence that recovering from COVID-19 may significantly increase a person’s risk of developing certain autoimmune diseases. The study, led by researchers from Shasta Regional Medical Centre in California, Duke Molecular Physiology Institute at Duke University in North Carolina, and New York Medical College, focused on patients who had previously contracted COVID19 and later developed autoimmune conditions.
New study links COVID-19 infection to increased risk of serious autoimmune diseases
This
Medical News report dives into the findings, which show that the virus’s effects may persist long after the acute illness ends, potentially triggering the immune system to attack the body itself.
Key Autoimmune Risks After COVID-19
The study analyzed data from over 11 million individuals across five major cohort studies in countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, South Korea, Taiwan, and Canada. It found a nearly twofold increase in the risk of ANCA-associated vasculitis and a 66 percent higher risk of developing type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) after COVID-19.
Other autoimmune diseases, such as cutaneous vasculitis, psoriasis, mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), and celiac disease, showed elevated risk trends, although these were not statistically confirmed due to wide variation and limited data. In contrast, conditions like inflammatory myopathies and adult-onset Still’s disease showed no significant association.
How COVID-19 May Trigger Autoimmunity
The researchers believe that SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, may induce autoimmunity through mechanisms like molecular mimicry, where viral proteins resemble human proteins and confuse the immune system. The virus also enters cells using ACE2 receptors found throughout the body, including in the lungs, pancreas, blood vessels, and kidneys—potentially initiating damage in multiple organs.
The study also noted that in some cases, the immune system’s overreaction—commonly known as the cytokine storm—may further trigger autoimmune responses. In particular, ANCA vasculitis could arise due to direct damage to blood vessels, while T1DM may be linked to the virus invading pancreatic cells and setting off immune attacks on insulin-producing cells.
Caution and Ongoing Research Needed
Only one of the five included studies accounted for COVID19 vaccination status, and many autoimmune conditions take months or years to become apparent, so more long-term studies are needed. The researchers urge caution in interpreting the findings but stress the importance of closely monitoring recovered COVID19 patients, especially those at risk of autoimmune conditions.
The researchers concluded that the long-term health effects of COVID19 extend beyond the lungs or heart and may include life-altering autoimmune diseases that require early detection and clinical management. This study raises crucial
questions for future medical care and surveillance programs around the world.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed Indian Journal of Rheumatology.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/09733698251376791
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Medical News.
Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/coronavirus
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/long-covid
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