Evaluation of Antinuclear Antibodies of SLE Panel in COVID-19 Patients: A Cross-Sectional study in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Introduction COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has raised concerns about its potential to trigger autoimmune phenomena and post-infection autoimmune diseases. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and patterns of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in post COVID-19 patients. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from August to October 2021, involving 108 adult post COVID-19 patients with articular and musculoskeletal symptoms. ANA screening was performed using the Indirect Immunofluorescent Test (IIFT) with HEp-2 cell substrate, and positive samples were further analyzed using Line ImmunoAssay (LIA) for specific ANA detection. Demographic data and disease severity information were collected. Results Among the participants, 29% tested positive for ANA by IIFT, and 17% of those with 3 months post COVID-19 and 37% with >6 months post COVID-19 were ANA-positive. LIA confirmed ANA positivity in 18 patients. The most common ANA pattern was nuclear speckled (52%), followed by homogenous (21%), DFS 70, and Nucleolar (10% each), and Cytoplasmic (7%). The prevalence of ANA increased significantly with longer post COVID-19 duration (>6 months vs. 3 months, p = 0.017) U1 snRNP-related speckled pattern was most frequent. However, the study found no correlation between ANA patterns and post COVID-19 duration. Conclusion The findings suggest that COVID-19 may trigger the development of ANA autoantibodies, especially in patients with a longer post-infection duration. Long-term follow-up studies are essential to understand the role of ANA in infection-triggered autoimmune conditions, enabling early diagnosis and treatment.