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A new study, conducted by researchers at the American Emory University, found that immune cells that survivors of the Corona virus develop in an attempt to fight the infection can turn against it and attack healthy body tissues, and this explains the appearance of Long-term symptoms of the virus, according to the New York Times.
The researchers said that what happens in some cases of corona is similar to what happens in some diseases, such as autoantibodies.
They emphasized that the body’s immune system in these patients turned to attack itself rather than the virus, and produces particles called “autoantibodies” that target the genetic material of human cells, rather than the virus.
They added that this deceptive immune response can exacerbate the severe case of Covid-19 and explain the cause of people’s suffering after their bodies shed the virus.
The researchers explained that the results have important implications for treatment, emphasizing that by using current tests that can detect antibodies, clinicians can identify patients who may benefit from the treatments used for SLE and rheumatoid arthritis.
“It is possible to give patients more doses of these drugs and expect better results,” said Matthew Woodruff, an immunologist at Emory University in Atlanta and the lead author of this work.
In the study, researchers performed a series of blood tests on 52 hospitalized coronavirus patients who were in “serious” or “critical” health in the Atlanta area.
The researchers found autoantibodies that recognize DNA in nearly half of the patients, and they also found antibodies against a protein called rheumatoid factor and other antibodies that help with blood clotting.
Some of the autoantibodies researchers have identified are linked to blood flow problems, said Ann Marshak Rothstein, an immunologist and lupus expert at the University of Massachusetts. “.
He said that if the autoantibodies turn out to be long-lasting, they could lead to persistent, and even lifelong problems for survivors of the virus.
