Features of COVID-19 in patients with immunoinflammatory rheumatological diseases (register data)

ABSTRACT

Aim: To characterize the clinical and demographic indicators of patients with immunoinflammatory rheumatic diseases (IIRD) who underwent COVID-19, to assess the severity of the course and outcomes of infection in the study group, to identify patterns characteristic of patients with IIRD. Material and Methods: We studied the material of the Russian database (RIR/ARR-COVID-19), formed on the basis of reports from practicing rheumatologists, which included information about adults (over 18 years old) patients with different IIRD who underwent COVID-19. Results: Data were obtained on 132 patients (100 women, 75%) aged 51.814.4 years, of which 29 (21.9%) were 65 years old and older. In 40.2% of patients, the condition was aggravated by concomitant arterial hypertension, in 13.6% -by ischemic heart disease, in 7.6% -by diabetes mellitus and in 14.4% -by obesity (BMI 30). IIRZ activity at the time of COVID-19 disease was assessed in 122 patients, incl. high -in 19 (15.7%), moderate -in 43 (35.2%), low -in 43 (35.2%), remission -in 17 (13.9%). The most frequent clinical manifestations of COVID-19 were fever (60.6%), cough (40.2%), anosmia (38.6%), shortness of breath (35.5%), headache (27.3%), malaise (27.3%). When conducting a correlation analysis, the deterioration in the course of IIRD after suffering COVID-19 was associated with the male sex (r = 0.22, P < 0.05), a high level of C-reactive protein (75 mg /l) (r = 0.2, P < 0.05) and high activity of IIRZ (r = -0.3, P < 0.05) at the time of development of COVID-19. Conclusion: The course of COVID-19 was predominantly favorable, despite the presence of signs of clinical and laboratory activity of IIRZ and comorbid conditions. Further research in a larger cohort is needed to study in detail the characteristics of the course of COVID-19 in patients with IIRD.