August Jernbom

[August Jernbom @AugustJernbom]

8/8 In sum, we mapped the landscape of new-onset autoantibodies after COVID-19, revealing leads for further research to understand whether this is clinically important. Huge thanks to our participants, the Swedish Research Council, and the incredible team behind this work!

[August Jernbom @AugustJernbom]

Thrilled to announce that our paper, Prevalent and Persistent New-Onset Autoantibodies in Mild to Severe COVID-19, is now published in @NatureComms!
https://t.co/gLkrCjkqNc
Here's a breakdown of the findings:

[August Jernbom @AugustJernbom]

7/8 One antigen is suggestive of epitope spreading from anti-Spike to anti-TPO IgG, which has been linked to new thyroid disease following COVID-19, again showing the importance of preventing severe disease through vaccination.

[August Jernbom @AugustJernbom]

6/8 Using epitope mapping, we validated five autoantibodies in an independent cohort and found that three of the antigens were similar to the Spike protein, hinting towards molecular mimicry.

[August Jernbom @AugustJernbom]

5/8 In line with previous research, vaccination did not increase levels of most autoantibodies. However, one autoantibody rose after both infection and vaccination, though its clinical relevance remains unclear.

[August Jernbom @AugustJernbom]

4/8 Three autoantibodies were linked to neuropsychiatric symptoms lasting 2+ months, reinforcing the importance of preventing severe COVID-19 through vaccination.

[August Jernbom @AugustJernbom]

3/8 Most of the new-onset autoantibodies appeared in single individuals, likely due to unspecific binding. However, 22 were found in 1-10% of participants, especially in those with severe illness.

[August Jernbom @AugustJernbom]

1/8 Using protein fragment arrays, we tracked the emergence of antibodies against a broad range of antigens in 525 healthcare workers and hospitalized patients with COVID-19 during 2020-2021.

[August Jernbom @AugustJernbom]

2/8 While we knew infection triggers autoantibody production, we were surprised to find 60% of the detected autoantibodies persisted for 12 months. Thankfully, most of these were likely harmless.

[August Jernbom @AugustJernbom]

https://t.co/VUA6hl4HU8

[August Jernbom @AugustJernbom]

One week ago I successfully defended my doctoral thesis On the analysis of antibody repertoires. I thoroughly enjoyed discussing my research with my outstanding opponent Albert Heck @hecklab. Very excited to explore what opportunities the coming months will hold.

[August Jernbom @AugustJernbom]

@hecklab @KTHuniversity I thoroughly enjoyed our discussion which I think highlighted several opportunities for collaborations that would be very interesting to pursue. It was truly an honor having you as my opponent. Looking forward to future interactions.