ABSTRACT
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) and associated COVID-19 infection continue to impact patients globally. Patients with underlying health conditions are at heightened risk of adverse outcomes from COVID-19; however, research involving patients with rare health conditions remains scarce. The amyloidoses are a rare grouping of protein deposition diseases. Light-chain and transthyretin amyloidosis are the most common disease forms, often present with systemic involvement of vital organs including the heart, nerves, kidneys, and GI tracts of affected individuals. The Amyloidosis Program of Calgary examined 152 ATTR patients and 103 AL patients analyzing rates of vaccination, COVID-19 testing, infection outcomes, influence referrals, and excess deaths. Results showed 15 total PCR-confirmed COVID-19 infections in the tested population of amyloid patients, with a higher frequency of infections among patient with AL compared to the ATTR cohort (26.2% vs 5.1%). Four patients (26.6%) required hospital admission for COVID-19 infection, 2 ATTR, and 2 AL patients. Of the confirmed cases, 1 (0.07%) unvaccinated ATTR patient died of a COVID-19 infection. An excess of deaths was found in both the ATTR and AL cohorts when comparing pre-pandemic years 2018 and 2019 to the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021. The finding suggests that amyloidosis patients are likely at a high risk for severe COVID-19 infection and mortality, especially those of advanced age, those on an active treatment with chemotherapy, and those with concomitant B-cell or plasma cell disorder. The impact of virtual healthcare visits and pandemic measures on the excess of deaths observed requires further research.
Subject(s)
Amyloid Neuropathies, Familial , COVID-19 , Amyloid/metabolism , COVID-19 Testing , Humans , RNA, Viral , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
Purpose of Review: Vaccination has been associated with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). Amid a global vaccination campaign to stop the spread of COVID-19, fears of GBS can contribute to vaccine hesitancy. We describe 3 cases of GBS in Calgary, Canada, presenting within 2 weeks of receiving the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (COVISHIELD) Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccination and review the available literature. Recent Findings: All 3 patients presented to the hospital in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, within a one-month time frame with GBS. Their clinical courses ranged from mild to severe impairment, all requiring immunomodulatory treatment. Summary: There is currently little evidence to support a causal relationship between vaccination and GBS. Furthermore, there is limited evidence to support recurrent GBS in patients with GBS temporally associated with vaccination. Neurologists should approach discussions with patients regarding GBS after vaccination carefully so as not to misrepresent this relationship and to educate patients that the risk of COVID-19 infection outweighs the small individual risk of a vaccine-associated adverse event.
ABSTRACT
The mechanisms for neurological complications of COVID-19, the disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), are not yet well understood. We present a critically ill man with a COVID-19-associated hemorrhagic encephalopathy. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was not detected in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or blood. CSF analyses suggested dysregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine pathways, particularly tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6, consistent with a cytokine release syndrome. The patient gradually recovered with supportive care and neurological rehabilitation. Awareness of this clinical entity may facilitate the identification of patients with a potentially remediable cause of encephalopathy in COVID-19.