Rotavirus Infection in Children may Increase Autoimmune Disease Risk: JAMA

Moreover, the study's findings demonstrated that stricter definitions for exposure and outcomes in a multivariable stratified analysis still pointed to a connection between rotavirus-associated hospitalization and an elevated risk of developing autoimmune disease (HR, 1.22 [95% CI, 1.16-1.28]).

In a sensitivity analysis, researchers discovered that individuals with rotavirus-associated hospitalization had a higher risk of developing multiple autoimmune syndromes. The risk was substantially elevated for those with two or more autoimmune syndromes (HR, 1.51 [95% CI, 1.31-1.73]) and three or more syndromes (HR, 1.79 [95% CI, 1.18-2.72]).

Additionally, the risk for autoimmune disease increased in a dose-dependent manner with the number of rotavirus-associated hospitalizations (single hospitalization event: HR, 1.20 [95% CI, 1.16-1.24]; multiple events: HR, 1.60 [95% CI, 1.49-1.72]).

While the exact mechanism behind the link between rotavirus infection and subsequent autoimmune diseases remains unclear, the study's findings warrant attention from healthcare professionals.

Source:

Ha, E. K., Kim, J. H., Cha, H. R., Lee, G. C., Shin, J., Shin, Y. H., Baek, H.-S., Lee, S. W., & Han, M. Y. (2023). Rotavirus-Associated Hospitalization in Children With Subsequent Autoimmune Disease. In JAMA Network Open (Vol. 6, Issue 7, p. e2324532). American Medical Association (AMA). https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.24532