A study from the University of Zurich analyzed long-term blood samples to understand how autoantibodies against type 1 interferons develop and their lifelong impact. It discovered these autoantibodies in about 2% of people, mainly aged 60-65, and linked them to increased risks of severe viral diseases. Credit: SciTechDaily.

com A new study shows that about two percent of the population develop autoantibodies against type 1 interferons, mostly later in life. This makes individuals more susceptible to viral diseases like COVID-19 . Researchers utilized a vast collection of blood samples from the Swiss HIV Cohort Study to investigate the presence and impact of autoantibodies against type 1 interferons in the immune system.

They found that approximately 2% of individuals developed these autoantibodies typically around ages 60 to 65, and these antibodies remained in the bloodstream for life, potentially leading to severe viral infections like COVID-19 due to compromised immune responses. Interferon Role in Immunity Virus infections trigger the cells of the immune system to release type 1 interferons. These proteins act as early messengers that warn uninfected cells and tissues that a virus is spreading.

This allows cells to prepare themselves so that they are ready to fight the virus when it reaches them. In individuals with a compromised type 1 interferon system, severe viral infections can occur because the body cannot mount a full defense. Recent research has shown that about 5 .