Arboviruses (Alphavirus) related to autoimmune rheumatic diseases: Triggers and possible therapeutic interventions

The relationship between rheumatic autoimmune diseases and alphaviruses infections is a theme already present in the literature that raises a series of questions, whose answers are still not easy to understand. Hypotheses that associate autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in patients after infection by alphavirus are reinforced by comparative results of cellular responses, profile of circulating cytokines, reported cases, in addition to predictive studies. In this way, we present a compilation of this information that approximates the infections of chikungunya virus (CHIKV), O’nyong-nyong virus (ONNV), Ross River virus (RRV), Barmah Forest virus (BFV), Mayaro virus (MAYV), and Sindbis virus (SINV) with the particularities seen in rheumatic autoimmune diseases like RA. However, all considerations about arthritogenic alphaviruses must be taken with care, and generalizations must be avoided in order to avoid speculation.