Methotrexate as a safe immunosuppressive agent during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Int Immunopharmacol
; 101(Pt B): 108324, 2021 Dec.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1549850
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, immunocompromised patients are at a higher risk of severe infection, since the immune system has an important role in defeating this disease. This study compares the severity of COVID-19 in patients taking methotrexate with the severity of their family members' illness as patients with normal immune system function.METHODS:
A total of 35 participants, including 14 patients taking methotrexate and 21 patients with normal immune function, entered this study, and the indicators of COVID-19 severity were compared between these two groups.RESULTS:
The case group, who were on methotrexate therapy, had significantly less severe COVID-19 based on their symptoms, including fever (p = 0.000) and cough and dyspnea (p = 0.01) as well as in terms of COVID-19 severity indicators such as pulmonary involvement (p = 0.001), ferritin level (p = 0.001), white blood cell count (p = 0.008) and CRP level (p = 0.006), compared to the control group. There was a significant correlation between taking methotrexate and lower severity in COVID-19 disease.CONCLUSION:
The present findings demonstrated that methotrexate does not predispose patients to severe COVID-19; on the contrary, patients taking methotrexate may experience a milder disease, possibly due to their reduced severe inflammatory reactions as a result of inhibited TNFα, lowered IL6, and increased T regulatory cells. According to these findings, methotrexate appears to be a suitable treatment option for patients who need immunosuppressive medications during the COVID-19 pandemic.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Methotrexate
/
SARS-CoV-2
/
COVID-19 Drug Treatment
/
Immunosuppressive Agents
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Young adult
Language:
English
Journal:
Int Immunopharmacol
Journal subject:
Allergy and Immunology
/
Pharmacology
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
J.intimp.2021.108324
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