Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in COVID-19 infection

We examined correlates of antinuclear antibody (ANA) positivity in individuals with COVID-19 infection. Sera from 156 patients were evaluated by indirect immunofluorescence on Hep-2 cells for ANA pattern and semi-quantitative titer. There was a significant difference in the prevalence of ANA (1:100) by gender (P = 0.0294). Male gender was correlated with ANA positivity and association persisted in multivariable analyses (OR = 0.354; CI: 0.139–0.816; P = 0.0200). Age (OR = 1.932; CI: 0.929–4.121; P = 0.0814), warm weather (OR = 1.307; CI: 0.611–2.921; p = 0.4989), geographic location (or = 0.886; CI:0.353–2.442; P = 0.8042), and diabetes mellitus (OR = 1.765; CI:0.513–5.477; P = 0.3369) were not correlated with ANA positivity. In this analysis, hospitalization was used as indicator for a more severe course. Of the 156 COVID-19 patients, 18 (11.5%) were hospitalized. Among 18 hospitalized patients, 4 (22.2%) were ANA positive (Table 2), although this did not reach statistical significance (OR = 0.841; CI: 0.227–2.527; p = 0.7725). In conclusion, although males were more prone to produce ANA during COVID-19 infection, this was not correlated with severe course.