Ischaemic Stroke Occurring in a Patient Treated with Monoclonal Antibodies for COVID-19.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak began, an association between COVID-19 and thrombotic diseases has been underlined. Although this association is more frequent with venous thromboembolism, ischaemic stroke has also been reported as a thrombotic complication in several cohorts of affected patients. Furthermore, the association between ischaemic stroke and COVID-19 has been considered a risk factor for early mortality. On the other hand, after the successful vaccination campaign, the incidence and the virulence of SARS-CoV-2 decreased, though it has been observed that COVID-19 may induce a severe infection in specific cohorts of frail subjects. For this reason, different drugs have been introduced of an antiviral action in order to improve the disease outcome of frail patients. In this field, with the arrival of a neutralizing monoclonal antibody against SARS-CoV-2, in particular, sotrovimab, a further chance to treat high-risk patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 arrived, achieving a concrete reduction in the risk of disease progression. We here report our clinical experience of an ischaemic stroke occurring a few minutes after the administration of sotrovimab for the treatment of moderate COVID-19 in a frail patient with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. Other causes of ischaemic stroke were ruled out, and in order to evaluate the probability of a rare side effect, the Naranjo probability scale has also been utilized. In conclusion, among several side effects that have been described during the treatment of COVID-19 with sotrovimab, ischaemic stroke was not reported. Therefore, we here report a rare case of ischaemic stroke with early clinical manifestation after the administration of sotrovimab for the treatment of moderate COVID-19 in an immunocompromised patient for the first time.

Initial left-ventricular mass predicts probability of uncontrolled blood pressure in arterial hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Left-ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a marker of organ damage in hypertension and helps stratifying cardiovascular risk. Initial left-ventricular mass (LVM) is also a predictor of progression to hypertension, independently of initial blood pressure (BP) and other confounders. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether baseline LVM can influence BP control in treated hypertension. METHODS: We evaluated risk of uncontrolled BP (>140 or 90 mmHg under at least two medications), in relation to initial LVM in 4693 hypertensive outpatients (mean age 53±11 years, 43% women, 5% diabetic), without prevalent cardiovascular disease, from the Campania Salute Network. RESULTS: Uncontrolled BP was found in 2240 patients (48%). Participants with initial LVH were more often men, older, diabetic, had higher initial BP, fasting glucose, uric acid and triglycerides, and lower heart rate (HR), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and glomerular filtration rate than those without LVH (all P<0.05). Of 1440 patients with initial LVH, 803 (56%) were uncontrolled at follow-up compared to 44% without LVH (P<0.0001). In multivariate analyses, odds of uncontrolled BP increased with higher baseline systolic BP [odds ratio (OR)=1.13×5 mmHg, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10-1.15], HR (OR=1.04×5 beats/min, 95% CI 1.01-1.07), BMI (OR=1.03×kg/m, 95% CI 1.01-1.04), LVM index (OR=1.05×5 g/m, 95% CI 1.01-1.10) and prevalence of diabetes (OR=5.22, 95% CI 3.52-7.76; all P<0.05) independently of age, sex, metabolic parameters and number of antihypertensive meds (P>0.1). Among medication classes, only angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers were associated with lower risk of uncontrolled BP (OR=0.83, 95% CI 0.71-0.96; P=0.01), independently of covariates. CONCLUSION: In a population of treated hypertensive patients, initial LVM is a significant predictor of uncontrolled BP, independently of major risk factors and antihypertensive therapy.

Enhanced GRK2 expression and desensitization of betaAR vasodilatation in hypertensive patients.

Increased levels of G protein coupled receptor kinase GRK2 appear to participate in hypertension presumably through the desensitization of beta adrenergic receptors (betaARs) that mediate vasodilatation. There are contrasting data on the occurrence of betaAR desensitization in the vasculature, we therefore investigated betaAR vasodilatation and desensitization in normotensives and in hypertensive humans. In blood lymphocytes, we assessed betaAR signaling and GRK2 expression and found betaAR signaling alterations and, consistent with desensitization, ncreased GRK2 levels in hypertensives. We studied in vivo vasodilatation to the betaAR agonist isoproterenol (ISO) injected in the brachia artery in control conditions and during the concomitant infusion of heparin, a known in vitro nonspecific GRK inhibitor. ISO induced a dose-dependent vasorelaxation that was attenuated in hypertensives indicating a loss of betaAR signaling. Intra-arterial infusion of heparin nhibited lymphocyte GRK2 activity and prevented desensitization of betaAR vasodilatation in normotensives. In hypertensives, heparin restored vasodilatation to ISO, to levels observed in normotensives. Our results suggest that betaAR desensitization does indeed occur at the vascular levels in vivo, and that heparin by acting as a GRK inhibitor prevents this in normotensives and restores impaired betaAR vasodilation in hypertensives. We conclude that desensitization participates to impaired betaAR vasodilation in hypertension.

[Usefulness of a telematic system and image analysis in the follow-up of high-risk patients: a new health service model]. / L'approccio telematico nella riduzione del rischio cardiovascolare: un nuovo modello organizzativo assistenziale.

BACKGROUND: Inadequate blood pressure control in hypertensive patients is in contrast with the evidence from clinical studies of effectiveness of the same antihypertensive compounds used in clinical practice. These results may be due to follow-up management of hypertensive patients and in particular to the interaction between general practitioners (GPs) and hypertension specialists. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an internet-based digital network, connecting specialists and GPs in the Campania Region, on blood pressure control and major cardiovascular events. METHODS: A network between the Hypertension Center of "Federico II" University, 14 specialist centers and 60 GPs was done in the Campania Region (Campania Salute Project, CS). Randomized GPs enrolled in CS could update online clinic records of patients (n = 1979). As a control group, we included 2045 patients referred to the specialist centers by GPs from outside the network. All patients completed a 2-year follow-up. RESULTS: CS determined a significant reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (CS group 144 +/- 18/91 +/- 11 vs 136 +/- 17/86 +/- 10 mmHg; control group 144 +/- 17/90 +/- 10 vs 139 +/- 15/87 +/- 9 mmHg, p < 0.001). Indeed, the CS group showed less frequent fatal and non-fatal major cardiovascular events (2.9 vs 4.3%, chi2 = 5.047, p < 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the hypothesis that telematic connections may contribute to improve blood pressure control and reduce major cardiovascular events.