Gene Expression Profiles of PTPN22, TRAF-1, and IL-1β in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients and Healthy Controls After SARS-CoV-2 Infection or Vaccination

Background: Recovering from Covid-19 was not the end of the story. Persistence of symptoms or developing other complications frequently reported. One of the main concerns is the emergence of immune-related disorders like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) Purpose of the research: To investigate the differences in the expression of PTPN22, TRAF-1, and IL-1β genes in rheumatoid arthritis patients and healthy controls following SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination. Methods: Blood samples were collected from 61 patients diagnosed with RA post Covid-19 patients RAI, and 40 control (C) experienced at least one Covid-19 infection. RNA was extracted and used to prepare cDNA from each sample and used to analyse the expression of PTPN22, TRAF-1 and IL-1β using relative gene expression. Results: The study covered all 61 patients, 17 had been vaccinated without prior infection with Covid-19 (RAV).  While the 44 that were diagnosed with RA after recovery from Covid-19 (RAI). A  pronounced decrease in gene expression of TRAF-1 in both RAI and RAV patients compared to C group. Consistently significant increase in gene expression of IL-1β in both RAI and RAV samples compared to control. However, the reduction in PTPN22 expression was not statistically significant. Conclusion: TRAF1 was downregulated and IL-1β upregulated in RA patients after Covid-19 infection, while PTPN22 showed a non-significant reduction. These findings suggest possible molecular links between COVID-19 and RA.