Hyperinterferonemia in rheumatic diseases as a protection factor against viral infections

V.V. Vakhlevsky, V.V. Tyrenko, I.S. Svintsitskaya S.M. Kirov Military Medical Academy, St. Petersburg

The role of hyperinterferonemia in the pathogenesis of rheumatic diseases (RD) has been proven in many studies. However, to date there are no studies demonstrating the sanogenetic role of hyperinterferonemia as an antiviral protection factor in patients with RD. In this article, the authors consider the protective role of hyperinterferonemia in patients with RD in viral infections. Nowadays, in a number of large-scale studies organized by the Global Rheumatology Alliance (GRA) and the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EALAR), only the influence of certain factors and various medications on the course of a new coronavirus infection in patients with RD is stated with no explanations for the reasons for such an influence. This circumstance was the impetus for our study of the interferons (IFN) level as a factor of antiviral protection in patients with RD and the effect of anti-rheumatic drugs on the IFN level. The authors present and discuss th e preliminary results of their research, in which it was shown that the inhibition of IFN production in various anti-rheumatic drugs differs significantly.

Keywords: COVID-19, autoimmune diseases, interferon, cytokines, anti-rheumatic drugs, rheumatic diseases, viruses.

For citation: Vakhlevsky V.V., Tyrenko V.V., Svintsitskaya I.S. Hyperinterferonemia in rheumatic diseases as a protection factor against viral infections. RMJ. 2022;6:36–41.