Abstract
Post-acute cardiac sequelae, following SARS-CoV-2 infection, are well recognized as complications of COVID-19. We have previously shown the persistence of autoantibodies against antigens in skin, muscle, and heart in individuals following severe COVID-19; the most common staining on skin tissue displayed an inter-cellular cement pattern consistent with antibodies against desmosomal proteins. Desmosomes play a critical role in maintaining the structural integrity of tissues. For this reason, we analyzed desmosomal protein levels and the presence of anti-desmoglein (DSG) 1, 2, and 3 antibodies in acute and convalescent sera from patients with COVID-19 of differing clinical severity. We find increased levels of DSG2 protein in sera from acute COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, we find that DSG2 autoantibody levels are increased significantly in convalescent sera following severe COVID-19 but not in hospitalized patients recovering from influenza infection or healthy controls. Levels of autoantibody in sera from patients with severe COVID-19 were comparable to levels in patients with non-COVID-19-associated cardiac disease, potentially identifying DSG2 autoantibodies as a novel biomarker for cardiac damage. To determine if there was any association between severe COVID-19 and DSG2, we stained post-mortem cardiac tissue from patients who died from COVID-19 infection. This confirmed DSG2 protein within the intercalated discs and disruption of the intercalated disc between cardiomyocytes in patients who died from COVID-19. Our results reveal the potential for DSG2 protein and autoimmunity to DSG2 to contribute to unexpected pathologies associated with COVID-19 infection.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 243-251 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Clinical and Experimental Immunology |
Volume | 213 |
Issue number | 2 |
Early online date | 24 Apr 2023 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 21 Jul 2023 |
Bibliographical note
© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Immunology.Keywords
- Humans
- Autoantibodies/metabolism
- COVID-19
- COVID-19 Serotherapy
- SARS-CoV-2
- Myocardium