Seroprevalence of autoantibodies to nuclear and phospholipid antigens in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 during the first wave of COVID-19 in Mali
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been associated with the production of autoantibodies and the development of autoimmune disease. However, the prevalence of autoantibodies during the early wave of the pandemic is not known in Mali. We sought to assess the seroprevalence of autoantibodies in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 during the first wave of COVID-19 in Mali. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted from April to July 2020 at the Charles Mérieux Centre of Infectiology, Bamako. We screened 1,271 individuals suspected of having COVID-19. Samples were tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Overall, 19% of screened individuals were seropositive for anti–SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G and/or M. Subsequently, ninety serum specimens were selected and analyzed for the detection of autoantibodies using an IDS-iSYS chemiluminescence immunoassay. We found a seroprevalence of 32.22% for autoantibodies. Seroprevalence was similar in women (18.89%) and men (13.33%, p = 0.25). The largest age group in this autoantibody seroprevalence study was 41–60 years (44%). Seroprevalence was higher for antinuclear antibodies and anti-beta-2 glycoprotein IgG, at 20% each. However, it was lower for anti-beta-2 glycoprotein I IgM, anti-cardiolipin IgG, and anti-cardiolipin IgM, and anti-myeloperoxidase antibodies, at 7%. The high seroprevalence of autoantibodies could contribute to the onset or the reactivation of autoimmune disorders during coronavirus infection.
- Huang C, Wang Y, Li X, et al. Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China. Lancet. 2020;395(10223):497-506.
- COVID-19 cases. WHO COVID-19 dashboard. Accessed November 15, 2025. Available from: https://data.who.int/dashboards/covid19/cases?n=c [Last accessed on 2025 Nov 15].
- Adil MT, Rahman R, Whitelaw D, et al. SARS-CoV-2 and the pandemic of COVID-19. Postgrad Med J. 2021;97(1145):110-116.
- Damoiseaux J, Dotan A, Fritzler MJ, et al. Autoantibodies and SARS-CoV2 infection: The spectrum from association to clinical implication: Report of the 15th Dresden Symposium on Autoantibodies. Autoimmun Rev. 2022;21(3):103012. doi: 10.1016/J.AUTREV.2021.103012
- Sacchi MC, Tamiazzo S, Stobbione P, et al. SARS-CoV-2 infection as a trigger of autoimmune response. Clin Transl Sci. 2021;14(3):898-907.
- Angileri F, Legare S, Marino Gammazza A, Conway de Macario E, Macario JL, Cappello F. Molecular mimicry may explain multi-organ damage in COVID-19. Autoimmun Rev. 2020;19(8):102591. doi: 10.1016/J.AUTREV.2020.102591
- Trahtemberg U, Rottapel R, Dos Santos CC, et al. COVID-19-associated autoimmunity as a feature of acute respiratory failure. Intensive Care Med. 2021;47(7):801-804.
- Andrade LEC, Damoiseaux J, Vergani D, Fritzler MJ. Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) as a criterion for classification and diagnosis of systemic autoimmune diseases. J Transl Autoimmun. 2022;5:100145. doi: 10.1016/J.JTAUTO.2022.100145
- Wang J, Jiang M, Chen X, Montaner LJ. Cytokine storm and leukocyte changes in mild versus severe SARS-CoV-2 infection: Review of 3939 COVID-19 patients in China and emerging pathogenesis and therapy concepts. J Leukoc Biol. 2020;108(1):17-41. doi: 10.1002/JLB.3COVR0520-272R
- Sidibe Tieido. Seroprevalence du SARS-COV-2 chez les patients recus au Centre d’Infectiologie Charles Merieux CICM Mali. These Pharmacie, USTTB; 2023. Available from: https://www.bibliosante.ml/handle/123456789/12773 [Last accessed on 2025 Nov 15].
- Pascolini S, Vannini A, Deleonardi G, et al. COVID-19 and Immunological Dysregulation: Can Autoantibodies be Useful? Clin Transl Sci. 2021;14(2):502-508.
- Gatto M, Perricone C, Tonello M, et al. Frequency and clinical correlates of antiphospholipid antibodies arising in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection: Findings from a multicentre study on 122 cases. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2020;38(4):754-759.
- Oertelt-Prigione S. The influence of sex and gender on the immune response. Autoimmun Rev. 2012;11(6-7):A479-A485. doi: 10.1016/J.AUTREV.2011.11.022
- Zhou Y, Han T, Chen J, et al. Clinical and Autoimmune Characteristics of Severe and Critical Cases of COVID-19. Clin Transl Sci. 2020;13(6):1077-1086.
- Lee SJ, Yoo SJ, Lee YJ, et al. Prevalence, clinical significance, and persistence of autoantibodies in COVID-19. Virol J. 2023;20(1):236. doi: 10.1186/S12985-023-02191-Z
- Katz I, Laryea R, Amoah LE, et al. Seroprevalences of autoantibodies and anti-infectious antibodies among Ghana’s healthy population. Sci Rep. 2020;10(1):2814.
- Epstein-Shuman A, Mubiru F, Kalyango J, et al. Autoantibodies to interferon alpha, nuclear antigens, cardiolipin, and beta 2 glycoprotein 1 in a Ugandan cohort and their relation to SARS-CoV-2 infection. J Infect Public Health. 2025;18(8):102722. doi: 10.1016/J.JIPH.2025.102722
- Smiyan S, Kuzmina G, Garmish O, Komorovsky R. Infection-Triggered Antiphospholipid Syndrome: A Critical Overview. Open Access Rheumatol. 2025;17:173-185.
- Stjepanovic MI, Miljanovic D, Stojanovic N, et al. Autoimmune and immunoserological markers of COVID-19 pneumonia: Can they help in the assessment of disease severity. Front Med (Lausanne). 2022;9:934270.