The College of Science at the University of Basrah organized a seminar entitled (potential effect of some viral infection on arthritis diseases) by the graduate student\PhD Maryam Hassan Sangour. The study aims to investigate the possible effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and included gene expression analysis of immune regulatory and inflammatory genes. Blood samples were collected from 61 individuals diagnosed with RA (44 of whom were previously infected with COVID-19 and 17 uninfected), in addition to 40 healthy controls. The expression levels of key immune-related genes (HLA-DQ, CTLA-4, PTPN22) and inflammatory genes (IL-1β, CCR6) were analyzed using qPCR. The results showed significant differences in gene expression, suggesting a potential link between SARS-CoV-2 infection and autoimmune responses in RA patients and the study was recommended it emphasized the importance of long-term patient follow-up, public awareness of immune complications post-infection or vaccination, and the future role of genetic analysis in early diagnosis.
