Autoantibody positiveness evaluated by the indirect immunofluorescence method investigation of the effect of SARS-COV-2 pandemic

Background: The aim of our study is to determine the possible relationship between SARS-CoV-2 infection and systemic and organ-specific autoimmune diseases. Material and Method: Serum samples sent to Düzce University Faculty of Medicine, Medical Microbiology Laboratory from patients in various clinics with suspicion of autoimmune disease between March 2018 and March 2022 were included in our study. Indirect immunofluorescence antibody parameters and the results of samples from the same patients, for which COVID-19 PCR tests were performed in our laboratory during this period, were obtained from the automation system of our hospital and evaluated retrospectively. Results: Of the 8325 patients whose serum samples were sent to the microbiology laboratory for IIFA testing with suspicion of autoimmune disease in the two years before the COVID-19 pandemic and in the two years during the pandemic period, 2448 patients who were detected positive for any autoantibody were included in the study. ANA positivity was detected in a total of 2256 patients, 2038 of whom had a single pattern (1363 had a spotted pattern) and 218 had a multiple pattern. ANA positivity was detected in 41 of the patients whose ANA test was studied and COVID-19 PCR positivity was detected, and the most common pattern was spotted (74%). When the change in autoantibody positivity over time was examined, it was determined that there was a statistically significant increase in the positivity rates of ANA, anti-dsDNA, anti-ICA, and anti-Gliadin autoantibodies in the two-year period, including the pandemic period. It was observed that there was no difference in the positivity rates of AMA, ASMA, anti-Endomysium, ANCA autoantibodies in all periods before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. When the COVID-19 PCR results of patients with autoantibody positivity, studied in the Microbiology Laboratory of our hospital, were examined, it was seen that the COVID-19 PCR test of 323 patients was positive and 306 patients were negative. KEYWORDS: Indirect immunofluorescent antibody method, autoantibody, autoimmune diseases, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19