Background: Patients with rheumatic diseases significantly suffer during and after infection with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) refers to signs and symptoms occurring during or following a COVID-19 infection that continue beyond 12 weeks. The study aimed to assess PCS symptoms in rheumatic disease patients compared to a control group not suffering from a rheumatic disease or any other chronic illness.Results: The prevalence of PCS symptoms was significantly higher in rheumatic disease patients compared to the control group: fatigue (69.1% vs. 41.25%), myalgia (73.5% vs. 37.5%), attention deficits (57.4% vs. 40%), and muscle weakness (33.8% vs. 13.8%). Objectively, the study group had significantly higher scores for the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) (35.46 ± 13.146 vs. 25.1 ± 7.587), Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ-2) (21.66 ± 10.3 vs. 11.6 ± 3.433), and higher grades of functional disability in the Post-COVID-19 Functional Status scale (PCFS). Rheumatic disease patients had significantly higher frequencies of anxiety and depression, as assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and cognitive impairment, as assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), than the controls (P = 0.023,P = 0.003,P = 0.0001, respectively). Moreover, SLE patients had the most symptoms and the highest FSS, SF-MPQ-2, PCFS, and HADS scores, as well as the lowest MMSE scores (P = 0.0001 for all except cough (P = 0.043), weakness (P = 0.015), paresthesia (P = 0.027), and anosmia (P = 0.039)). Lower disease duration, hospitalization during acute COVID-19, steroid use, smoking, and biologics non-use were significantly associated with higher PCS symptoms. Smoking was a significant risk factor (P = 0.048), and biologics use was protective (P = 0.03). Rheumatic disease patients who received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccinations had better scores on the FSS, HADS for anxiety and depression, and MMSE than those who received a single dose (P = 0.005,P = 0.001,P = 0.009,P = 0.01).Conclusion: Rheumatic disease patients have a higher prevalence and risk of PCS, so strict follow-up, avoiding smoking, controlling disease activity, and COVID-19 vaccinations are essential for decreasing the morbidity of PCS.

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multifactorial autoimmune disease in which cytotoxic T cells contribute to tissue damage through dysregulated effector pathways. CD107a (LAMP-1) serves as a functional marker of CD8⁺ T-cell degranulation and may reflect disease-related alterations in cytotoxicity. Objective: To investigate the expression of CD107a on cytotoxic T cells in SLE patients and evaluate its relationship with disease activity and immunological features. Methods: Demographic, hematological, and immunological profiles of SLE patients and controls were compared. Flow cytometry was used to evaluate CD3⁺, CD3⁺CD8⁺, CD4⁺, double-negative T cells, and CD107a⁺CD8⁺ subsets. Correlations with disease activity and diagnostic performance were assessed. Results: SLE patients showed anemia, thrombocytopenia, and lymphopenia compared with controls. Immunophenotyping revealed significantly elevated CD3⁺CD8⁺, CD107a⁺CD8⁺ T cells in SLE, and reduced CD4⁺ counts. While CD107a⁺CD8⁺ levels were strongly elevated, they did not correlate with disease activity scores, suggesting persistent upregulation of CD107a expression independent of clinical severity. ROC curve analysis indicated that CD3⁺ and CD3⁺CD8⁺ subsets had diagnostic utility, while double-negative T cells showed additional value. Conclusion: SLE is associated with increased CD107a⁺CD8⁺ T cells, reflecting heightened basal expression of this degranulation marker regardless of disease activity level. These findings underscore the role of altered cytotoxic T-cell function in SLE immunopathogenesis and support CD107a as a potential biomarker of immune dysregulation.