{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,22]],"date-time":"2026-01-22T18:04:45Z","timestamp":1769105085878,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":27,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,28]],"date-time":"2021-06-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1624838400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Immunol."],"abstract":"<jats:p>The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a respiratory tract infection caused by the new virus SARS-CoV-2. The acute phase of the infection may in certain individuals be followed by another longer phase of disease (long COVID) of unknown etiology probably associated in certain cases with autoimmune activation. It has been shown that COVID-19 can trigger autoantibody production and in genetically predisposed patients may cause the onset or exacerbation of autoimmune diseases. We are reporting a case of mild COVID-19 infection complicated by autoantibody production and cutaneous and gastrointestinal symptoms and subsequently diagnosed with systemic sclerosis (SSc). A 47-year-old man with no history of any autoimmune diseases and in good health became sick together with his family on the 12th of November with mild symptoms: tiredness, fever, cough, and sore throat. Oropharyngeal swab for SARS-CoV-2 tested positive. He was isolated at home and did not require hospitalization. Three weeks later he presented with clinical manifestation compatible with suspicion of SSc. He briefly presented with skin rush, periorbital edema and conjunctivitis, vomiting, dysphagia, burning sensation in the skin, above all in the fingertips and around the mouth, puffy fingers, Raynaud\u2019s phenomenon, pain at the fingertip of the middle finger where a depressed area was noticed without a clear ulceration. ANA showed a strongly positive nucleolar pattern. Anti-PM\/Scl 75 and PM\/Scl 100 resulted positive. High-resolution computed tomography (HCRT) showed early stage of interstitial lung disease (ILD). The patient was diagnosed with SSc based on the persistence of autoantibodies and the clinical and radiological pictures according to the ACR\/EULAR classification (scores: puffy finger, 2; ILD, 2; Raynaud\u2019s phenomenon, 3; SSc related antibodies, 3; total 10). There are several cases described in the medical literature of possible new onset of SLE after COVID-19 infection. This is the first case that describes a possible new onset of SSc. Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 may trigger systemic sclerosis.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2021.686699","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,28]],"date-time":"2021-06-28T07:28:25Z","timestamp":1624865305000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":42,"title":["Case Report: Systemic Sclerosis After Covid-19 Infection"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Serena","family":"Fineschi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.12968\/hmed.2019.80.9.530","article-title":"Systemic Sclerosis","volume":"80","author":"Hughes","year":"2019","journal-title":"Br J Hops Med"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/annrheumdis-2013-204424","article-title":"2013\u00a0Classification\u00a0Criteria for Systemic Sclerosis: An American College of Rheumatology\/European League Against Rheumatism Collaborative Initiative","volume":"72","author":"Van den Hoogen","year":"2013","journal-title":"Ann Rheum Dis"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"R22","DOI":"10.1186\/ar2614","article-title":"Antibodies Against\u00a0PM\/Scl-75\u00a0and\u00a0PM\/Scl-100\u00a0Are Independent Markers for Different Subsets of Systemic Sclerosis Patients","volume":"11","author":"Hanke","year":"2009","journal-title":"Arthritis Res Ther"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2013.00266","article-title":"The Role of Type 1 Interferon in Systemic Sclerosis","volume":"4","author":"Wu M Assassi","year":"2013","journal-title":"Front Immunol"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/BOR.0000000000000505","article-title":"Autoimmune\u00a0Manifestations\u00a0Of\u00a0Infections","volume":"30","author":"Jara","year":"2018","journal-title":"Curr Opin Rheumatol"},{"key":"B6","article-title":"The\u00a0Importance\u00a0of The\u00a0Type\u00a0I\u00a0Interferon\u00a0System in Autoimmunity","volume":"34","author":"R\u00f6nnblom","year":"2016","journal-title":"Clin Exp Rheumatol"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"762","DOI":"10.3390\/v11080762","article-title":"Viruses\u00a0And\u00a0Autoimmunity: A Review on the Potential Interaction and Molecular Mechanisms","volume":"11","author":"Smatti","year":"2019","journal-title":"Viruses"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/cts.12953","article-title":"Sars-CoV-2\u00a0infection\u00a0as A\u00a0Trigger\u00a0Of\u00a0Autoimmune\u00a0Response","author":"Sacchi","year":"2020","journal-title":"Clin Transl Sci"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"102524","DOI":"10.1016\/j.autrev.2020.102524","article-title":"Could Sars-coronavirus-2 Trigger Autoimmune and\/or Autoinflammatory Mechanisms in Genetically Predisposed Subjects","volume":"19","author":"Caso","year":"2020","journal-title":"Autoimmun Rev"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10067-020-05376-x","article-title":"The Potential Similarities of\u00a0COVID-19\u00a0and Autoimmune Disease Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Options: New Insights Approach","volume":"39","author":"Najafi","year":"2020","journal-title":"Clin Rheumatol"},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/cts.12908","article-title":"COVID-19 and Immunological Dysregulation: Can\u00a0Autoantibodies\u00a0Be\u00a0Useful","volume":"14","author":"Pascolini","year":"2021","journal-title":"Clin Transl Sci"},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.26355\/eurrev_202009_23060","article-title":"The First Case of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Triggered by COVID-19 Infection","volume":"24","author":"Bonometti","year":"2020","journal-title":"Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci"},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10067-020-05310-1","article-title":"Concomitant New Diagnosis of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and COVID-19 With Possible Antiphospholipid Syndrome. 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