Journal of autoimmunity
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Journal of autoimmunity · Feb 2021
Observational StudyA multidisciplinary registry of patients with autoimmune and immune-mediated diseases with symptomatic COVID-19 from a single center.
There is increasing interest regarding SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with autoimmune and immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (AI/IMID) with some discrepancies in different cohorts about their risk and outcomes. The aim was to describe a multidisciplinary cohort of patients with AI/IMID and symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection in a single tertiary center and analyze sociodemographic, clinical, and therapeutic factors associated with poor outcomes. ⋯ Patients with AI/IMID who require admission for SARS-CoV-2 infection have a lower risk of developing severe disease, including the need to stay in the ICU and MV.
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Journal of autoimmunity · Jan 2021
Complement activation and endothelial perturbation parallel COVID-19 severity and activity.
Animal models and few clinical reports suggest the involvement of the complement system in the onset of severe manifestations of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). However, complement contribution to endotheliopathy and hypercoagulability has not been elucidated yet. ⋯ Complement activation is boosted during the progression of COVID-19 and dampened during remission, thus indicating its role in the pathophysiology of the disease. The association between complement activation and the biomarkers of endothelial damage suggests that complement may contribute to tissue injury and could be the target of specific therapy.
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Journal of autoimmunity · Dec 2020
High dose subcutaneous Anakinra to treat acute respiratory distress syndrome secondary to cytokine storm syndrome among severely ill COVID-19 patients.
Severely ill COVID-19 patients may end in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and multi-organ failure. Some of them develop a systemic hyperinflammatory state produced by the massive release of inflammatory agents, known as cytokine storm syndrome (CSS). Inhibition of IL-1 by Anakinra (ANK) is a potential life-saving therapy for severe CSS cases. We propose a rationale for the use of subcutaneous ANK and review our initial experience in a small cohort of severe COVID-19 CSS patients. ⋯ Overall, 55.6% of COVID-19 ARDS CSS patients treated with ANK exhibited favorable outcome, not inferior to a TCZ treated matched cohort. ANK may be a potential alternative to TCZ for patients with elevated aminotransferases, and may be useful in non-responders to TCZ.
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Journal of autoimmunity · Nov 2020
Multicenter Study Observational StudyClinical characteristics and predictors of survival in adults with coronavirus disease 2019 receiving tocilizumab.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can progress to cytokine storm that is associated with organ dysfunction and death. The purpose of the present study is to determine clinical characteristics associated with 28 day in-hospital survival in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that received tocilizumab. This was a retrospective observational cohort study conducted at a five hospital health system in Michigan, United States. ⋯ Clinical response occurred more commonly in survivors than non-survivors (80.4% vs. 5.7%; p < 0.001). Improvements in the six-point ordinal scale and SOFA score were observed in survivors after tocilizumab. Early receipt of tocilizumab in patients with severe COVID-19 was an independent predictor for in-hospital survival at 28 days.
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Journal of autoimmunity · Nov 2020
Experience with tocilizumab in severe COVID-19 pneumonia after 80 days of follow-up: A retrospective cohort study.
To describe the clinical characteristics and predictors of major outcomes in patients treated with tocilizumab (TCZ) for severe COVID-19 pneumonia. ⋯ In a Mediterranean cohort, use of tocilizumab for severe COVID-19 show 12.9% of mortality. Early TCZ-response by BCRSS and low comorbidity were associated with increased survival. Early TCZ-response was related to shorter median hospital stay.