Autoimmune Hematological Disorders in COVID-19
Summary
The interplay between SARS-CoV-2 infection and the immune system may precipitate a spectrum of autoimmune haematological complications. Aberrant activation of innate and adaptive immunity, molecular mimicry and dysregulated cytokine release can lead to autoantibody production against platelets and erythrocytes. Clinically, this manifests most commonly as immune thrombocytopenic purpura with a precipitous fall in platelet count and risk of bleeding, and as autoimmune haemolytic anaemia characterised by premature red cell destruction, anaemia and jaundice. Less frequent but equally serious presentations include thrombotic microangiopathies, antiphospholipid syndrome and Evans syndrome. The temporal onset often peaks one to two weeks after initial viral symptoms. Management strategies range from corticosteroids and intravenous immunoglobulin to targeted therapies such as complement inhibitors, tailored according to severity and concurrent COVID-19 disease burden. As these disorders carry risks of haemorrhage, thrombosis and organ dysfunction, timely recognition and multidisciplinary care are essential to reduce morbidity and mortality worldwide.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Autoimmune Hematological Disorders in COVID-19 publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in autoimmune hematological disorders in covid-19 across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP): Autoimmune destruction of platelets leading to low platelet counts and bleeding risk.
Autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA): Autoantibody-mediated red blood cell destruction causing anaemia and jaundice.
Complement system: A cascade of serum proteins that amplifies immune responses and can mediate cell lysis when dysregulated.
Paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH): A clonal stem-cell disorder causing complement-mediated red cell lysis and haemoglobinuria.
Cold agglutinin disease (CAD): A subtype of AIHA in which cold-reactive antibodies agglutinate red cells, especially in peripheral circulation.
References
- Hematologic autoimmune disorders in the course of COVID-19: a systematic review of reported cases. Hematology (2021).
- Complement Mediated Hemolytic Anemias in the COVID-19 Era: Case Series and Review of the Literature. Frontiers in Immunology (2021).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.