Autoimmune bullous diseases during COVID-19 pandemic: 2022 update on rituximab and vaccine.
Front Med (Lausanne)
; 10: 1112823, 2023.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2244262
ABSTRACT
Autoimmune bullous diseases (AIBDs) are a heterogeneous group of life-threatening disorders associated with subepidermal or intraepidermal blistering. Skin barrier alterations and prolonged immunosuppressive treatments increase the risk of infections in patients with AIBDs, who are considered fragile. COVID-19 pandemic had a heavy impact on these patients. Although advances have been made in terms of prevention and treatment of COVID-19, this topic remains significant as the pandemic and its waves could last several years and, so far, a relevant proportion of the population worldwide is not vaccinated. This review is a 2022 update that summarizes and discusses the pandemic's burden on AIBD patients mainly considering relevant studies in terms of (i) sample dimension; (ii) quality of control populations; (iii) possible standardization by age, gender and country. The findings show that (i) the risk of COVID-19 infection and its severe course were comparable in AIBD patients and in the general population, except for rituximab-treated patients that presented a higher risk of infection and severe disease; (ii) the mortality rate in COVID-19-infected bullous pemphigoid patients was higher than in the general population, (iii) 121 cases of AIBD onset and 185 cases of relapse or exacerbation occurred after COVID-19 vaccination and a causal relationship has not been demonstrated so far. Altogether, acquired knowledge on COVID-19 pandemic could also be important in possible, albeit undesirable, future pandemic scenarios.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Topics:
Vaccines
Language:
English
Journal:
Front Med (Lausanne)
Year:
2023
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Fmed.2023.1112823
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS