Pulmonary vascular improvement in severe COVID-19 patients treated with tocilizumab.
Immunol Lett
; 228: 122-128, 2020 12.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-909223
ABSTRACT
As of October 2020 management of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is based on supportive care and off-label or compassionate-use therapies. On March 2020 tocilizumab - an anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody - was suggested as immunomodulatory treatment in severe COVID-19 because hyperinflammatory syndrome occurs in many patients similarly to the cytokine release syndrome that develops after CAR-T cell therapy. In our retrospective observational study, 20 severe COVID-19 patients requiring intensive care were treated with tocilizumab in addition to standard-of-care therapy (SOC) and compared with 13 COVID-19 patients receiving only SOC. Clinical respiratory status, inflammatory markers and vascular radiologic score improved after one week from tocilizumab administration. On the contrary, these parameters were stable or worsened in patients receiving only SOC. Despite major study limitations, improvement of alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient as well as vascular radiologic score after one week may account for improved pulmonary vascular perfusion and could explain the more rapid recovery of COVID-19 patients receiving tocilizumab compared to controls.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Respiration
/
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
/
COVID-19 Drug Treatment
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Language:
English
Journal:
Immunol Lett
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
J.imlet.2020.10.009
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