Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42462284›Full record

Observational studyEBioMedicine2026

Autoantibodies against type I interferons in patients with zoonotic H7N9 influenza: an observational case-control study.

Yongkun Chen, Jakob Ankerhold, Tingting Jia, Martin Wolkewitz, Jonas Fuchs, Lifang Yuan, Tian Bai, Kevin Groen, Roger Kuratli, Benjamin G Hale and 5 more

Abstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in EBioMedicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Yongkun ChenGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infection Immunity and Inflammation, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen University, 1066 Xueyuan Avenue, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
Jakob AnkerholdInstitute of Virology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Str. 11, Freiburg, 79104, Germany; Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; University of Freiburg Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine, Freiburg, Germany.
Tingting JiaSchool of Public Health, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, No. 66, Gongchang Road, Guangming District, Shenzhen, 518107, China; Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, No. 8, Longyuan Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
Martin WolkewitzFaculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Institute of Medical Biometry and Statistics, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Jonas FuchsInstitute of Virology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Str. 11, Freiburg, 79104, Germany; Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Lifang YuanGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infection Immunity and Inflammation, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen University, 1066 Xueyuan Avenue, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
Tian BaiKey Laboratory of Pathogen Infection Prevention and Control (MOE), State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity, National Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, No. 16 Tianrong Street, Daxing District, Beijing, 102629, China.
Kevin GroenInstitute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland.
Roger KuratliInstitute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland.
Benjamin G HaleInstitute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland.
Georg KochsInstitute of Virology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Str. 11, Freiburg, 79104, Germany; Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Dayan WangChinese National Influenza Center, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 155 Changbai Road, Changping District, Beijing, 102206, China.
Martin SchwemmleInstitute of Virology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Str. 11, Freiburg, 79104, Germany; Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Yuelong ShuSchool of Public Health, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, No. 66, Gongchang Road, Guangming District, Shenzhen, 518107, China; Key Laboratory of Pathogen Infection Prevention and Control (MOE), State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity, National Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, No. 16 Tianrong Street, Daxing District, Beijing, 102629, China. Electronic address: yshu@ipbcams.ac.cn.
Laura GrafInstitute of Virology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Str. 11, Freiburg, 79104, Germany; Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. Electronic address: laura.graf@uniklinik-freiburg.de.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe determinants of the species barrier preventing human infections with avian influenza A viruses (IAV) are incompletely understood. We previously identified loss-of-function variants of the interferon-regulated antiviral factor MxA as a genetic factor for increased susceptibility to infections with the H7N9 subtype. Given the central role of type I IFNs (IFN-I) in antiviral defence, we hypothesised that IFN-I-neutralising autoantibodies may similarly predispose to zoonotic H7N9 infection.

methodsIn this observational case-control study, serum samples collected between 2013 and 2017 from 199 Chinese patients with laboratory-confirmed H7N9 infection and 531 healthy, uninfected controls (269 poultry workers, 262 close contacts) were screened for IgG autoantibodies binding IFNα

findingsNeutralising autoantibodies against at least one IFN-I were detected in 19.1% (38/199) of patients but in only 1.1% (6/531) of controls, consistent with published general population data. Most patient sera targeted IFNα

interpretationOur findings suggest that IFN-I-targeting autoimmunity is associated with susceptibility to zoonotic IAV infection with the H7N9 subtype, and possibly also other subtypes, including panzootic H5N1. Given the ease of implementation, screening for anti-IFN-I autoantibodies could be readily integrated into surveillance or targeted testing. This could be relevant in environments with increased exposure to zoonotic IAVs.

fundingShenzhen Medical Research Fund, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Non-profit Central Research Institute Fund of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Program, Program for Youzuzhikeyan of Shenzhen University, German Research Foundation, Swiss National Science Foundation.

Indexed as

AutoantibodiesInfluenza A Virus, H7N9 SubtypeInfluenza, HumanInterferon Type IZoonosesAdolescentAdultAgedAnimalsCase-Control StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedYoung AdultAutoantibodiesInterferon Type IAutoantibodiesH7N9Influenza A virusType I interferonZoonosis

Identifiers

PMID42462284
PMCPMC13382596

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.