Journal
NATURE REVIEWS RHEUMATOLOGY
Volume 16, Issue 8, Pages 465-470Publisher
NATURE PORTFOLIO
DOI: 10.1038/s41584-020-0451-z
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- German Research Council [DFG: FOR2438/2886, SFB1181, TRR241]
- German Ministry of Science and Education
- European Union (ERC Synergy grant 4DnanoSCOPE)
- EU/EFPIA Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 (project RTCure)
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, which predominantly affects the lungs and, under certain circumstances, leads to an excessive or uncontrolled immune activation and cytokine response in alveolar structures. The pattern of pro-inflammatory cytokines induced in COVID-19 has similarities to those targeted in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Several clinical studies are underway that test the effects of inhibiting IL-6, IL-1 beta or TNF or targeting cytokine signalling via Janus kinase inhibition in the treatment of COVID-19. Despite these similarities, COVID-19 and other zoonotic coronavirus-mediated diseases do not induce clinical arthritis, suggesting that a local inflammatory niche develops in alveolar structures and drives the disease process. COVID-19 constitutes a challenge for patients with inflammatory arthritis for several reasons, in particular, the safety of immune interventions during the pandemic. Preliminary data, however, do not suggest that patients with inflammatory arthritis are at increased risk of COVID-19. This Perspective article explores similarities in the inflammatory processes underlying coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and rheumatoid arthritis, including the role of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the potential of anti-cytokine therapies to treat COVID-19, as well as the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on rheumatology.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available