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Giannakoulis VG, Psychogios G, Routsi C, Dimopoulou I, Siempos II. Effect of Early Versus Delayed Tracheostomy Strategy on Functional Outcome of Patients With Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Target Trial Emulation. Crit Care Explor 2024; 6:e1145. [PMID: 39120085 PMCID: PMC11319316 DOI: 10.1097/cce.0000000000001145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Optimal timing of tracheostomy in severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is unknown due to lack of clinical trials. We emulated a target trial to estimate the effect of early vs. delayed tracheostomy strategy on functional outcome of patients with severe TBI. DESIGN Target trial emulation using 1:1 balanced risk-set matching. SETTING North American hospitals participating in the TBI Hypertonic Saline randomized controlled trial of the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium. PATIENTS The prematching population consisted of patients with TBI and admission Glasgow Coma Scale less than or equal to 8, who were alive and on mechanical ventilation on the fourth day following trial enrollment, and stayed in the ICU for at least 5 days. Patients with absolute indication for tracheostomy and patients who died during the first 28 days with a decision to withdraw care were excluded. INTERVENTIONS We matched patients who received tracheostomy at a certain timepoint (early group) with patients who had not received tracheostomy at the same timepoint but were at-risk of tracheostomy in the future (delayed group). The primary outcome was a poor 6-month functional outcome, defined as Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended less than or equal to 4. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Out of 1282 patients available for analysis, 275 comprised the prematching population, with 75 pairs being created postmatching. Median time of tracheostomy differed significantly in the early vs. the delayed group (7.0 d [6.0-10.0 d] vs. 12.0 d [9.8-18.3 d]; p < 0.001). Only 40% of patients in the delayed group received tracheostomy. There was no statistically significant difference between groups regarding poor 6-month functional outcome (early: 68.0% vs. delayed: 72.0%; p = 0.593). CONCLUSIONS In a target trial emulation, early as opposed to delayed tracheostomy strategy was not associated with differences in 6-month functional outcome following severe TBI. Considering the limitations of target trial emulations, delaying tracheostomy through a "watchful waiting" approach may be appropriate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vassilis G. Giannakoulis
- First Department of Critical Care Medicine and Pulmonary Services, Evangelismos Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
| | - Georgios Psychogios
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University General Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Christina Routsi
- First Department of Critical Care Medicine and Pulmonary Services, Evangelismos Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
| | - Ioanna Dimopoulou
- First Department of Critical Care Medicine and Pulmonary Services, Evangelismos Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
| | - Ilias I. Siempos
- First Department of Critical Care Medicine and Pulmonary Services, Evangelismos Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
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Preiss A, Bhatia A, Aragon LV, Baratta JM, Baskaran M, Blancero F, Brannock MD, Chew RF, Diaz I, Fitzgerald M, Kelly EP, Zhou AG, Carton TW, Chute CG, Haendel M, Moffitt R, Pfaff E. Effect of Paxlovid Treatment During Acute COVID-19 on Long COVID Onset: An EHR-Based Target Trial Emulation from the N3C and RECOVER Consortia. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.01.20.24301525. [PMID: 38343863 PMCID: PMC10854326 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.20.24301525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Preventing and treating post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), commonly known as Long COVID, has become a public health priority. In this study, we examined whether treatment with Paxlovid in the acute phase of COVID-19 helps prevent the onset of PASC. We used electronic health records from the National Covid Cohort Collaborative (N3C) to define a cohort of 426,352 patients who had COVID-19 since April 1, 2022, and were eligible for Paxlovid treatment due to risk for progression to severe COVID-19. We used the target trial emulation (TTE) framework to estimate the effect of Paxlovid treatment on PASC incidence. We estimated overall PASC incidence using a computable phenotype. We also measured the onset of novel cognitive, fatigue, and respiratory symptoms in the post-acute period. Paxlovid treatment did not have a significant effect on overall PASC incidence (relative risk [RR] = 0.98, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.95-1.01). However, it had a protective effect on cognitive (RR = 0.90, 95% CI 0.84-0.96) and fatigue (RR = 0.95, 95% CI 0.91-0.98) symptom clusters, which suggests that the etiology of these symptoms may be more closely related to viral load than that of respiratory symptoms.
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3
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Lazarus B, Kotwal S, Gallagher M, Gray NA, Coggan S, Talaulikar G, Polkinghorne KR. Replacement Strategies for Tunneled Hemodialysis Catheters with Complications: A Nationwide Cohort Study. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2024:01277230-990000000-00413. [PMID: 38913437 DOI: 10.2215/cjn.0000000000000495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Key Points
Replacement strategies for hemodialysis catheters with mechanical failure differed widely between services, which suggests clinical equipoise.For mechanical hemodialysis catheter failure, exchange did not result in more dysfunction or infection than removal and separate replacement.In Australia, infected catheters were almost universally removed and then replaced through a separate tunnel tract.
Background
Tunneled hemodialysis catheters often have infectious or mechanical complications that require unplanned removal and replacement, but the optimal replacement strategy is unknown. This study described the real-world use of two strategies in Australia and compared the survival of replacement catheters inserted by either strategy.
Methods
Observational data from the REDUcing the burden of dialysis Catheter ComplicaTIOns: a National approach trial, which enrolled a nationwide cohort of 6400 adults who received an incident hemodialysis catheter (2016–2020), was used for this secondary analysis. Tunneled catheters were replaced by either catheter exchange through the existing tunnel tract or removal and replacement through a new tract. The effect of the replacement strategy on the time to catheter removal because of infection or dysfunction was estimated by emulating a hypothetical pragmatic randomized trial among a subset of 434 patients with mechanical tunneled catheter failure.
Results
Of 9974 tunneled hemodialysis catheters inserted during the trial, 380 had infectious and 945 had mechanical complications that required replacement. Almost all infected hemodialysis catheters (97%) were removed and separately replaced through a new tunnel tract, whereas nephrology services differed widely in their replacement practices for catheters with mechanical failure (median=50% guidewire exchanged, interquartile range=30%–67%). Service-level differences accounted for 29% of the residual variation after adjusting for patient factors. In the target trial emulation cohort of patients with mechanical catheter failure (n=434 patients), catheter exchange was not associated with lower complication-free survival at 1, 6, or 12 months (counterfactual survival difference at 1 month=5.9%; 95% confidence interval, −2% to 14%).
Conclusions
Guidewire exchange for mechanical failure of catheter was not associated with lower catheter survival and may be preferable for patients.
Trial registration and protocol:
The trial was registered in the Australia and New Zealand clinical trials registry on the June 23, 2016 (ACTRN12616000830493).
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Lazarus
- Department of Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Nephrology, Monash Health, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sradha Kotwal
- The George Institute for Global Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Prince of Wales Hospital, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Martin Gallagher
- The George Institute for Global Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- South Western Sydney Campus, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nicholas A Gray
- Sunshine Coast University Hospital, Birtinya, Queensland, Australia
- School of Health, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sarah Coggan
- The George Institute for Global Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Girish Talaulikar
- Department of Nephrology, The Canberra Hospital, Garran, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
- Australian National University School of Medicine, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Kevan R Polkinghorne
- Department of Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Nephrology, Monash Health, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Prahran, Victoria, Australia
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4
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Lv D, Xie X, Yang Q, Chen Z, Liu G, Peng W, Wang R, Huang H, Chen J, Wu J. Clinical characteristics and outcomes of hospitalized kidney transplant recipients with COVID-19 infection in China during the Omicron wave: a single-center cohort study. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B 2024; 25:529-540. [PMID: 38910497 PMCID: PMC11199089 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.b2300538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Following the short-term outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in December 2022 in China, clinical data on kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) with COVID-19 are lacking. METHODS: We conducted a single-center retrospective study to describe the clinical features, complications, and mortality rates of hospitalized KTRs infected with COVID-19 between Dec. 16, 2022 and Jan. 31, 2023. The patients were followed up until Mar. 31, 2023. RESULTS: A total of 324 KTRs with COVID-19 were included. The median age was 49 years. The median time between the onset of symptoms and admission was 13 d. Molnupiravir, azvudine, and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir were administered to 67 (20.7%), 11 (3.4%), and 148 (45.7%) patients, respectively. Twenty-nine (9.0%) patients were treated with more than one antiviral agent. Forty-eight (14.8%) patients were treated with tocilizumab and 53 (16.4%) patients received baricitinib therapy. The acute kidney injury (AKI) occurred in 81 (25.0%) patients and 39 (12.0%) patients were admitted to intensive care units. Fungal infections were observed in 55 (17.0%) patients. Fifty (15.4%) patients lost their graft. The 28-d mortality rate of patients was 9.0% and 42 (13.0%) patients died by the end of follow-up. Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified that cerebrovascular disease, AKI incidence, interleukin (IL)-6 level of >6.8 pg/mL, daily dose of corticosteroids of >50 mg, and fungal infection were all associated with an increased risk of death for hospitalized patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that hospitalized KTRs with COVID-19 are at high risk of mortality. The administration of immunomodulators or the late application of antiviral drugs does not improve patient survival, while higher doses of corticosteroids may increase the death risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duo Lv
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Drug Evaluation and Clinical Research, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Xishao Xie
- Kidney Disease Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
- Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease Prevention and Control Technology, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
- Institute of Nephrology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China
- Zhejiang Clinical Research Center of Kidney and Urinary System Disease, Hangzhou 310003, China
- The Third Grade Laboratory under the National State, Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Qinyun Yang
- Information Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Zhimin Chen
- Kidney Disease Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
- Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease Prevention and Control Technology, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
- Institute of Nephrology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China
- Zhejiang Clinical Research Center of Kidney and Urinary System Disease, Hangzhou 310003, China
- The Third Grade Laboratory under the National State, Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Guangjun Liu
- Kidney Disease Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
- Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease Prevention and Control Technology, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
- Institute of Nephrology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China
- Zhejiang Clinical Research Center of Kidney and Urinary System Disease, Hangzhou 310003, China
- The Third Grade Laboratory under the National State, Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Wenhan Peng
- Kidney Disease Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
- Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease Prevention and Control Technology, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
- Institute of Nephrology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China
- Zhejiang Clinical Research Center of Kidney and Urinary System Disease, Hangzhou 310003, China
- The Third Grade Laboratory under the National State, Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Rending Wang
- Kidney Disease Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
- Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease Prevention and Control Technology, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
- Institute of Nephrology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China
- Zhejiang Clinical Research Center of Kidney and Urinary System Disease, Hangzhou 310003, China
- The Third Grade Laboratory under the National State, Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Hongfeng Huang
- Kidney Disease Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
- Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease Prevention and Control Technology, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
- Institute of Nephrology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China
- Zhejiang Clinical Research Center of Kidney and Urinary System Disease, Hangzhou 310003, China
- The Third Grade Laboratory under the National State, Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Jianghua Chen
- Kidney Disease Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
- Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease Prevention and Control Technology, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
- Institute of Nephrology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China
- Zhejiang Clinical Research Center of Kidney and Urinary System Disease, Hangzhou 310003, China
- The Third Grade Laboratory under the National State, Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Jianyong Wu
- Kidney Disease Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China.
- Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease Prevention and Control Technology, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China.
- Institute of Nephrology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China.
- Zhejiang Clinical Research Center of Kidney and Urinary System Disease, Hangzhou 310003, China.
- The Third Grade Laboratory under the National State, Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China.
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5
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Chan GCK, Sun T, Stjepanović D, Vu G, Hall WD, Connor JP, Leung J. Designing observational studies for credible causal inference in addiction research-Directed acyclic graphs, modified disjunctive cause criterion and target trial emulation. Addiction 2024; 119:1125-1134. [PMID: 38343103 DOI: 10.1111/add.16442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the gold standard for causal inference. With a sufficient sample size, randomization removes confounding up to the time of randomization and allows the treatment effect to be isolated. However, RCTs may have limited generalizability and transportability and are often not feasible in addiction research due to ethical or logistical constraints. The importance of observational studies from real-world settings has been increasingly recognized in research on health. This paper provides an overview of modern approaches to designing observational studies that enable causal inference. It illustrates three key techniques, Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs), modified Disjunctive Cause Criterion and Target Trial Emulation, and discusses the strengths and limitations of their applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary C K Chan
- National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Tianze Sun
- National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Daniel Stjepanović
- National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Giang Vu
- National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Wayne D Hall
- National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Science, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Australia
| | - Jason P Connor
- National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Discipline of Psychiatry, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Janni Leung
- National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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6
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Vazquez Guillamet MC, Vazquez Guillamet R, Rjob A, Reynolds D, Parikh B, Despotovic V, Byers DE, Ellebedy AH, Kollef MH, Mudd PA. Quantitative SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR and Bronchoalveolar Cytokine Concentrations Redefine the COVID-19 Phenotypes in Critically Ill Patients. J Intensive Care Med 2024; 39:525-533. [PMID: 38629466 DOI: 10.1177/08850666231217707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Recent studies suggest that both hypo- and hyperinflammatory acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) phenotypes characterize severe COVID-19-related pneumonia. The role of lung Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral load in contributing to these phenotypes remains unknown. OBJECTIVES To redefine COVID-19 ARDS phenotypes when considering quantitative SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR in the bronchoalveolar lavage of intubated patients. To compare the relevance of deep respiratory samples versus plasma in linking the immune response and the quantitative viral loads. METHODS Eligible subjects were adults diagnosed with COVID-19 ARDS who required mechanical ventilation and underwent bronchoscopy. We recorded the immune response in the bronchoalveolar lavage and plasma and the quantitative SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR in the bronchoalveolar lavage. Hierarchical clustering on principal components was applied separately on the 2 compartments' datasets. Baseline characteristics were compared between clusters. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS Twenty subjects were enrolled between August 2020 and March 2021. Subjects underwent bronchoscopy on average 3.6 days after intubation. All subjects were treated with dexamethasone prior to bronchoscopy, 11 of 20 (55.6%) received remdesivir and 1 of 20 (5%) received tocilizumab. Adding viral load information to the classic 2-cluster model of ARDS revealed a new cluster characterized by hypoinflammatory responses and high viral load in 23.1% of the cohort. Hyperinflammatory ARDS was noted in 15.4% of subjects. Bronchoalveolar lavage clusters were more stable compared to plasma. CONCLUSIONS We identified a unique group of critically ill subjects with COVID-19 ARDS who exhibit hypoinflammatory responses but high viral loads in the lower airways. These clusters may warrant different treatment approaches to improve clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Cristina Vazquez Guillamet
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA
| | | | - Ashraf Rjob
- Department of Internal Medicine, Mountain View Regional Medical Center, Virginia, USA
| | - Daniel Reynolds
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Bijal Parikh
- Department of Pathology, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Vladimir Despotovic
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Derek E Byers
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Ali H Ellebedy
- Department of Pathology, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Marin H Kollef
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Philip A Mudd
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA
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7
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Zhang F, Li T, Bai Y, Liu J, Qin J, Wang A, Zhu Y, Zhang M, Ma Z, Zhou X, Wang L, Gao M, Wu X, Shao Y, Zhao X, Wen J, Guan J, Wang J, Ma J, Tao H, Hu Y. Treatment strategies with combined agency against severe viral pneumonia in patients with advanced cancer. J Transl Int Med 2024; 12:317-320. [PMID: 39081279 PMCID: PMC11285019 DOI: 10.2478/jtim-2024-0007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Fan Zhang
- Senior Department of Oncology, The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing100039, China
| | - Tao Li
- Senior Department of Oncology, The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing100039, China
| | - Yibing Bai
- Senior Department of Oncology, The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing100039, China
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing100853, China
| | - Jiayi Liu
- Senior Department of Oncology, The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing100039, China
- School of medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin300071, China
| | - Jiapei Qin
- Senior Department of Oncology, The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing100039, China
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing100853, China
| | - An Wang
- Senior Department of Oncology, The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing100039, China
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing100853, China
| | - Yimin Zhu
- Department of Oncology, The Eighth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing100091, China
| | - Min Zhang
- Senior Department of Nephrology, The First Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing100853, China
| | - Zhiqiang Ma
- Senior Department of Oncology, The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing100039, China
| | - Xin Zhou
- Senior Department of Oncology, The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing100039, China
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing100853, China
| | - Lijie Wang
- Senior Department of Oncology, The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing100039, China
| | - Ming Gao
- Senior Department of Oncology, The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing100039, China
| | - Xiaodong Wu
- Senior Department of Oncology, The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing100039, China
| | - Yan Shao
- Senior Department of Oncology, The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing100039, China
| | - Xiangfei Zhao
- Department of Oncology, the Sixth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing100048, China
| | - Juyi Wen
- Department of Oncology, the Sixth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing100048, China
| | - Jingzhi Guan
- Department of Oncology, The Eighth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing100091, China
| | - Jinliang Wang
- Senior Department of Oncology, The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing100039, China
| | - Junxun Ma
- Senior Department of Oncology, The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing100039, China
| | - Haitao Tao
- Senior Department of Oncology, The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing100039, China
| | - Yi Hu
- Senior Department of Oncology, The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing100039, China
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8
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Zhang LY, Liu X, Wu YC, Wang GD. New-onset seizure and acute encephalopathy. Pract Neurol 2024; 24:252-256. [PMID: 38378268 DOI: 10.1136/pn-2023-003994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Lin-Yuan Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xia Liu
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yun-Cheng Wu
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Guo-Dong Wang
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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9
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Ghasemiyeh P, Mohammadi-Samani S. Lessons we learned during the past four challenging years in the COVID-19 era: pharmacotherapy, long COVID complications, and vaccine development. Virol J 2024; 21:98. [PMID: 38671455 PMCID: PMC11055380 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-024-02370-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
About four years have passed since the detection of the first cases of COVID-19 in China. During this lethal pandemic, millions of people have lost their lives around the world. Since the first waves of COVID-19 infection, various pharmacotherapeutic agents have been examined in the management of COVID-19. Despite all these efforts in pharmacotherapy, drug repurposing, and design and development of new drugs, multiple organ involvement and various complications occurred during COVID-19. Some of these complications became chronic and long-lasting which led to the "long COVID" syndrome appearance. Therefore, the best way to eradicate this pandemic is prophylaxis through mass vaccination. In this regard, various vaccine platforms including inactivated vaccines, nucleic acid-based vaccines (mRNA and DNA vaccines), adenovirus-vectored vaccines, and protein-based subunit vaccines have been designed and developed to prevent or reduce COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and mortality rates. In this focused review, at first, the most commonly reported clinical presentations of COVID-19 during these four years have been summarized. In addition, different therapeutic regimens and their latest status in COVID-19 management have been listed. Furthermore, the "long COVID" and related signs, symptoms, and complications have been mentioned. At the end, the effectiveness of available COVID-19 vaccines with different platforms against early SARS-CoV-2 variants and currently circulating variants of interest (VOI) and the necessity of booster vaccine shots have been summarized and discussed in more detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parisa Ghasemiyeh
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Soliman Mohammadi-Samani
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
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10
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Matthews AA, Dahebreh IJ, MacDonald CJ, Lindahl B, Hofmann R, Erlinge D, Yndigegn T, Berglund A, Jernberg T, Hernán MA. Prospective benchmarking of an observational analysis in the SWEDEHEART registry against the REDUCE-AMI randomized trial. Eur J Epidemiol 2024; 39:349-361. [PMID: 38717556 PMCID: PMC11101517 DOI: 10.1007/s10654-024-01119-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Prospective benchmarking of an observational analysis against a randomized trial increases confidence in the benchmarking process as it relies exclusively on aligning the protocol of the trial and the observational analysis, while the trials findings are unavailable. The Randomized Evaluation of Decreased Usage of Betablockers After Myocardial Infarction (REDUCE-AMI, ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03278509) trial started recruitment in September 2017 and results are expected in 2024. REDUCE-AMI aimed to estimate the effect of long-term use of beta blockers on the risk of death and myocardial following a myocardial infarction with preserved left ventricular systolic ejection fraction. We specified the protocol of a target trial as similar as possible to that of REDUCE-AMI, then emulated the target trial using observational data from Swedish healthcare registries. Had everyone followed the treatment strategy as specified in the target trial protocol, the observational analysis estimated a reduction in the 5-year risk of death or myocardial infarction of 0.8 percentage points for beta blockers compared with no beta blockers; effects ranging from an absolute reduction of 4.5 percentage points to an increase of 2.8 percentage points in the risk of death or myocardial infarction were compatible with our data under conventional statistical criteria. Once results of REDUCE-AMI are published, we will compare the results of our observational analysis against those from the trial. If this prospective benchmarking is successful, it supports the credibility of additional analyses using these observational data, which can rapidly deliver answers to questions that could not be answered by the initial trial. If benchmarking proves unsuccessful, we will conduct a "postmortem" analysis to identify the reasons for the discrepancy. Prospective benchmarking shifts the investigator focus away from an endeavour to use observational data to obtain similar results as a completed randomized trial, to a systematic attempt to align the design and analysis of the trial and the observational analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony A Matthews
- Unit of Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels Väg 13, 171 65, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Issa J Dahebreh
- CAUSALab, Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - Conor J MacDonald
- Unit of Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels Väg 13, 171 65, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Bertil Lindahl
- Department of Medical Sciences, Cardiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Uppsala Clinical Research Center, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Robin Hofmann
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Clinical Science and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - David Erlinge
- Department of Cardiology, Clinical Sciences, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Troels Yndigegn
- Department of Cardiology, Clinical Sciences, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Anita Berglund
- Unit of Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels Väg 13, 171 65, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tomas Jernberg
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Danderyd University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Miguel A Hernán
- Unit of Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels Väg 13, 171 65, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
- CAUSALab, Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
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Truong B, Hornsby L, Fox B, Chou C, Zheng J, Qian J. Benefit and risk of oral anticoagulant initiation strategies in patients with atrial fibrillation and cancer: a target trial emulation using the SEER-Medicare database. J Thromb Thrombolysis 2024; 57:638-649. [PMID: 38504063 PMCID: PMC11026243 DOI: 10.1007/s11239-024-02958-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Oral anticoagulants (OACs) are recommended for patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib) having CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥ 2. However, the benefits of OAC initiation in patients with AFib and cancer at different levels of CHA2DS2-VASc is unknown. We included patients with new AFib diagnosis and a record of cancer (breast, prostate, or lung) from the 2012-2019 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database (n = 39,915). Risks of stroke and bleeding were compared between 5 treatment strategies: (1) initiated OAC when CHA2DS2-VASc ≥ 1 (n = 6008), (2) CHA2DS2-VASc ≥ 2 (n = 8694), (3) CHA2DS2-VASc ≥ 4 (n = 20,286), (4) CHA2DS2-VASc ≥ 6 (n = 30,944), and (5) never initiated OAC (reference group, n = 33,907). Confounders were adjusted using inverse probability weighting through cloning-censoring-weighting approach. Weighted pooled logistic regressions were used to estimate treatment effect [hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence interval (95% CIs)]. We found that only patients who initiated OACs at CHA2DS2-VASc ≥ 6 had lower risk of stroke compared without OAC initiation (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.54-0.75). All 4 active treatment strategies had reduced risk of bleeding compared to non-initiators, with OAC initiation at CHA2DS2-VASc ≥ 6 being the most beneficial strategy (HR = 0.49, 95% CI 0.44-0.55). In patients with lung cancer or regional/metastatic cancer, OAC initiation at any CHA2DS2-VASc level increased risk of stroke and did not reduce risk of bleeding (except for Regimen 4). In conclusion, among cancer patients with new AFib diagnosis, OAC initiation at higher risk of stroke (CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥ 6) is more beneficial in preventing ischemic stroke and bleeding. Patients with advanced cancer or low life-expectancy may initiate OACs when CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥ 6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bang Truong
- Department of Health Outcomes Research and Policy, Auburn University Harrison College of Pharmacy, 4306d Walker Building, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA
| | - Lori Hornsby
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Auburn University Harrison College of Pharmacy, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Brent Fox
- Department of Health Outcomes Research and Policy, Auburn University Harrison College of Pharmacy, 4306d Walker Building, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA
| | - Chiahung Chou
- Department of Health Outcomes Research and Policy, Auburn University Harrison College of Pharmacy, 4306d Walker Building, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA
| | - Jingyi Zheng
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Auburn University College of Sciences and Mathematics, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Jingjing Qian
- Department of Health Outcomes Research and Policy, Auburn University Harrison College of Pharmacy, 4306d Walker Building, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA.
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12
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Martinuka O, Hazard D, Marateb HR, Mansourian M, Mañanas MÁ, Romero S, Rubio-Rivas M, Wolkewitz M. Methodological biases in observational hospital studies of COVID-19 treatment effectiveness: pitfalls and potential. Front Med (Lausanne) 2024; 11:1362192. [PMID: 38576716 PMCID: PMC10991758 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1362192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction This study aims to discuss and assess the impact of three prevalent methodological biases: competing risks, immortal-time bias, and confounding bias in real-world observational studies evaluating treatment effectiveness. We use a demonstrative observational data example of COVID-19 patients to assess the impact of these biases and propose potential solutions. Methods We describe competing risks, immortal-time bias, and time-fixed confounding bias by evaluating treatment effectiveness in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. For our demonstrative analysis, we use observational data from the registry of patients with COVID-19 who were admitted to the Bellvitge University Hospital in Spain from March 2020 to February 2021 and met our predefined inclusion criteria. We compare estimates of a single-dose, time-dependent treatment with the standard of care. We analyze the treatment effectiveness using common statistical approaches, either by ignoring or only partially accounting for the methodological biases. To address these challenges, we emulate a target trial through the clone-censor-weight approach. Results Overlooking competing risk bias and employing the naïve Kaplan-Meier estimator led to increased in-hospital death probabilities in patients with COVID-19. Specifically, in the treatment effectiveness analysis, the Kaplan-Meier estimator resulted in an in-hospital mortality of 45.6% for treated patients and 59.0% for untreated patients. In contrast, employing an emulated trial framework with the weighted Aalen-Johansen estimator, we observed that in-hospital death probabilities were reduced to 27.9% in the "X"-treated arm and 40.1% in the non-"X"-treated arm. Immortal-time bias led to an underestimated hazard ratio of treatment. Conclusion Overlooking competing risks, immortal-time bias, and confounding bias leads to shifted estimates of treatment effects. Applying the naïve Kaplan-Meier method resulted in the most biased results and overestimated probabilities for the primary outcome in analyses of hospital data from COVID-19 patients. This overestimation could mislead clinical decision-making. Both immortal-time bias and confounding bias must be addressed in assessments of treatment effectiveness. The trial emulation framework offers a potential solution to address all three methodological biases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oksana Martinuka
- Institute of Medical Biometry and Statistics, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Derek Hazard
- Institute of Medical Biometry and Statistics, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Hamid Reza Marateb
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center (CREB), Automatic Control Department (ESAII), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-Barcelona Tech (UPC), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Artificial Intelligence, Smart University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Marjan Mansourian
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center (CREB), Automatic Control Department (ESAII), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-Barcelona Tech (UPC), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Miguel Ángel Mañanas
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center (CREB), Automatic Control Department (ESAII), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-Barcelona Tech (UPC), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sergio Romero
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center (CREB), Automatic Control Department (ESAII), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-Barcelona Tech (UPC), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Rubio-Rivas
- Department of Internal Medicine, Bellvitge University Hospital, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Martin Wolkewitz
- Institute of Medical Biometry and Statistics, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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Fisher JM, Subbian V, Essay P, Pungitore S, Bedrick EJ, Mosier JM. Acute Respiratory Failure From Early Pandemic COVID-19: Noninvasive Respiratory Support vs Mechanical Ventilation. CHEST CRITICAL CARE 2024; 2:100030. [PMID: 38645483 PMCID: PMC11027508 DOI: 10.1016/j.chstcc.2023.100030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The optimal strategy for initial respiratory support in patients with respiratory failure associated with COVID-19 is unclear, and the initial strategy may affect outcomes. RESEARCH QUESTION Which initial respiratory support strategy is associated with improved outcomes in patients with COVID-19 with acute respiratory failure? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS All patients with COVID-19 requiring respiratory support and admitted to a large health care network were eligible for inclusion. We compared patients treated initially with noninvasive respiratory support (NIRS; noninvasive positive pressure ventilation by facemask or high-flow nasal oxygen) with patients treated initially with invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). The primary outcome was time to in-hospital death analyzed using an inverse probability of treatment weighted Cox model adjusted for potential confounders. Secondary outcomes included unweighted and weighted assessments of mortality, lengths of stay (ICU and hospital), and time to intubation. RESULTS Nearly one-half of the 2,354 patients (47%) who met inclusion criteria received IMV first, and 53% received initial NIRS. Overall, in-hospital mortality was 38% (37% for IMV and 39% for NIRS). Initial NIRS was associated with an increased hazard of death compared with initial IMV (hazard ratio, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.03-1.94), but also an increased hazard of leaving the hospital sooner that waned with time (noninvasive support by time interaction: hazard ratio, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.95-0.98). INTERPRETATION Patients with COVID-19 with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure initially treated with NIRS showed an increased hazard of in-hospital death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia M Fisher
- Statistics Consulting Laboratory, The University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ; College of Engineering, the BI05 Institute, The University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ
| | - Vignesh Subbian
- Department of Systems and Industrial Engineering, The University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ; College of Engineering, the BI05 Institute, The University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ
| | - Patrick Essay
- Department of Systems and Industrial Engineering, The University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ
| | - Sarah Pungitore
- Program in Applied Mathematics, The University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ
| | - Edward J Bedrick
- Statistics Consulting Laboratory, The University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ; College of Engineering, the BI05 Institute, The University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ
| | - Jarrod M Mosier
- The University of Arizona, the Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ; Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep, The University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ; Department of Medicine, The University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ
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14
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La Vecchia G, Del Buono MG, Bonaventura A, Vecchiè A, Moroni F, Cartella I, Saponara G, Campbell MJ, Dagna L, Ammirati E, Sanna T, Abbate A. Cardiac Involvement in Patients With Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Adults. J Am Heart Assoc 2024; 13:e032143. [PMID: 38348793 PMCID: PMC11010102 DOI: 10.1161/jaha.123.032143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Multisystemic inflammatory syndrome in adults is a hyperinflammatory condition following (within 4-12 weeks) SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, the dysregulation of the immune system leads to a multiorgan involvement often affecting the heart. Cardiac involvement in multisystemic inflammatory syndrome in adults has been described mainly in young men without other comorbidities and may present with different clinical scenarios, including acute heart failure, life-threatening arrhythmias, pericarditis, and myocarditis, with a nonnegligible risk of mortality (up to 7% of all cases). The heterogeneity of its clinical features and the absence of a clear case definition make the differential diagnosis with other postinfectious (eg, infective myocarditis) and hyperinflammatory diseases (eg, adult Still disease and macrophage activation syndrome) challenging. Moreover, the evidence on the efficacy of specific treatments targeting the hyperinflammatory response underlying this clinical condition (eg, glucocorticoids, immunoglobulins, and other immunomodulatory agents) is sparse and not supported by randomized clinical trials. In this review article, we aim to provide an overview of the clinical features and the diagnostic workup of multisystemic inflammatory syndrome in adults with cardiac involvement, highlighting the possible pathogenetic mechanisms and the therapeutic management, along with remaining knowledge gaps in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia La Vecchia
- Department of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary SciencesCatholic University of the Sacred HeartRomeItaly
- Center of Excellence in Cardiovascular SciencesIsola Tiberina Hospital Gemelli IsolaRomeItaly
- Department of Cardiovascular MedicineFondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCSRomeItaly
| | - Marco Giuseppe Del Buono
- Department of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary SciencesCatholic University of the Sacred HeartRomeItaly
- Department of Cardiovascular MedicineFondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCSRomeItaly
| | - Aldo Bonaventura
- S.C. Medicina Generale 1Medical Center, Ospedale di Circolo e Fondazione Macchi, Department of Internal Medicine, ASST Sette LaghiVareseItaly
| | - Alessandra Vecchiè
- S.C. Medicina Generale 1Medical Center, Ospedale di Circolo e Fondazione Macchi, Department of Internal Medicine, ASST Sette LaghiVareseItaly
| | - Francesco Moroni
- Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center and Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Heart and Vascular CenterUniversity of VirginiaCharlottesvilleVirginiaUSA
| | - Iside Cartella
- Department of Cardiology, De Gasperis Cardio Center, ASST GrandeOspedale Metropolitano NiguardaMilanItaly
| | - Gianluigi Saponara
- Department of Cardiovascular MedicineFondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCSRomeItaly
| | - Michael J. Campbell
- Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of PediatricsDuke University Medical Center2301 Erwin Road, DUMC Box 3127DurhamNCUSA
| | - Lorenzo Dagna
- Unit of Immunology, Rheumatology, Allergy and Rare DiseasesIRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Vita‐Salute San Raffaele UniversityMilanItaly
| | - Enrico Ammirati
- Department of Cardiology, De Gasperis Cardio Center, ASST GrandeOspedale Metropolitano NiguardaMilanItaly
| | - Tommaso Sanna
- Department of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary SciencesCatholic University of the Sacred HeartRomeItaly
- Department of Cardiovascular MedicineFondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCSRomeItaly
| | - Antonio Abbate
- Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center and Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Heart and Vascular CenterUniversity of VirginiaCharlottesvilleVirginiaUSA
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15
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Alkhunaizi L, Almutairi JA, Almanea SH, Alzahuf SM, Fehaid M, Alharthi A, Alhebs T, Alshuqayfi SM, Alotaibi R, Alharbi M, Abdalwahab ZE, Aloqaybi A, Talebi SH, Kharaba AM. Impact of Corticosteroid Therapy on ICU Patient Outcomes in Severe COVID-19 Cases: A Retrospective Cohort Study in Saudi Arabia. Cureus 2024; 16:e53412. [PMID: 38435152 PMCID: PMC10908548 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.53412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has presented significant challenges in clinical management, and intensive care units (ICUs) worldwide have become epicenters of high-stakes treatment decisions. Among these, corticosteroid therapy has risen as a pivotal, yet controversial, treatment modality. In Saudi Arabia, where unique demographic and health system characteristics intersect, understanding the specific effects of corticosteroids on ICU patient outcomes is not just critical but a pressing necessity in tailoring effective COVID-19 management strategies. OBJECTIVE This study aims to elucidate the effects of corticosteroid therapy on the outcomes of severe COVID-19 patients in Saudi Arabian ICUs, providing critical insights into treatment efficacy and guiding future clinical practices. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this cohort study, we meticulously reviewed the medical records of 1085 severe COVID-19 patients admitted to Saudi Arabian ICUs. Our analysis focused on demographic details, ICU outcomes, and the extent and implications of corticosteroid therapy. The study employed comprehensive methods for data collection, evaluation criteria, and statistical analysis, ensuring a thorough understanding of the impact of corticosteroids in this context. RESULTS The study encompassed 1085 patients, predominantly male (74.5%, N=806), with an average age of 56 and a mean BMI of 30.07. A significant portion (72.3%, N=784) received corticosteroid therapy. These patients generally experienced longer ICU (mean 23 days) and hospital stays (mean 16 days), along with higher rates of microbiological cure (72.3%, N=648) and increased ICU discharge likelihood. Conversely, corticosteroid recipients showed higher mortality rates at ICU discharge. The statistical analysis confirmed the significance of these findings, reinforcing their importance in managing COVID-19 in ICUs. CONCLUSION The research highlights the intricate dynamics of corticosteroid use in treating severe COVID-19 cases in ICUs. While associated with prolonged ICU stays and increased mortality, corticosteroids also correlate with higher microbiological cure rates and discharge likelihood. These insights call for careful deliberation in applying corticosteroid therapy, with implications for enhancing clinical protocols and guiding future research in severe COVID-19 treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lama Alkhunaizi
- College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, SAU
| | | | - Sarah H Almanea
- Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, SAU
| | | | - Mohammed Fehaid
- Neurology, King Abdulaziz University Faculty of Medicine, Jeddah, SAU
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16
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Mia ME, Howlader M, Akter F, Hossain MM. Preclinical and Clinical Investigations of Potential Drugs and Vaccines for COVID-19 Therapy: A Comprehensive Review With Recent Update. CLINICAL PATHOLOGY (THOUSAND OAKS, VENTURA COUNTY, CALIF.) 2024; 17:2632010X241263054. [PMID: 39070952 PMCID: PMC11282570 DOI: 10.1177/2632010x241263054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic-led worldwide healthcare crisis necessitates prompt societal, ecological, and medical efforts to stop or reduce the rising number of fatalities. Numerous mRNA based vaccines and vaccines for viral vectors have been licensed for use in emergencies which showed 90% to 95% efficacy in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, safety issues, vaccine reluctance, and skepticism remain major concerns for making mass vaccination a successful approach to treat COVID-19. Hence, alternative therapeutics is needed for eradicating the global burden of COVID-19 from developed and low-resource countries. Repurposing current medications and drug candidates could be a more viable option for treating SARS-CoV-2 as these therapies have previously passed a number of significant checkpoints for drug development and patient care. Besides vaccines, this review focused on the potential usage of alternative therapeutic agents including antiviral, antiparasitic, and antibacterial drugs, protease inhibitors, neuraminidase inhibitors, and monoclonal antibodies that are currently undergoing preclinical and clinical investigations to assess their effectiveness and safety in the treatment of COVID-19. Among the repurposed drugs, remdesivir is considered as the most promising agent, while favipiravir, molnupiravir, paxlovid, and lopinavir/ritonavir exhibited improved therapeutic effects in terms of elimination of viruses. However, the outcomes of treatment with oseltamivir, umifenovir, disulfiram, teicoplanin, and ivermectin were not significant. It is noteworthy that combining multiple drugs as therapy showcases impressive effectiveness in managing individuals with COVID-19. Tocilizumab is presently employed for the treatment of patients who exhibit COVID-19-related pneumonia. Numerous antiviral drugs such as galidesivir, griffithsin, and thapsigargin are under clinical trials which could be promising for treating COVID-19 individuals with severe symptoms. Supportive treatment for patients of COVID-19 may involve the use of corticosteroids, convalescent plasma, stem cells, pooled antibodies, vitamins, and natural substances. This study provides an updated progress in SARS-CoV-2 medications and a crucial guide for inventing novel interventions against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md. Easin Mia
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh
| | - Mithu Howlader
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh
| | - Farzana Akter
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh
| | - Md. Murad Hossain
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh
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17
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Conroy GM, Bauer SR, Pallotta AM, Duggal A, Wang L, Sacha GL. Baricitinib versus tocilizumab in critically ill COVID-19 patients: A retrospective cohort study. Pharmacotherapy 2024; 44:28-38. [PMID: 37593883 PMCID: PMC10961678 DOI: 10.1002/phar.2867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The immunomodulators tocilizumab and baricitinib improve outcomes in severely ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); however, comparative analyses of clinical outcomes related to these agents are lacking. A tocilizumab national shortage shifted treatment to baricitinib in critically ill patients, allowing for an outcome comparison in a similar population. The purpose of this study is to compare clinical outcomes in critically ill COVID-19 patients who received tocilizumab and those who received baricitinib. DESIGN Retrospective, observational cohort study using generalized estimating equation models, accounting for clustering by hospital and known confounders, to estimate the proportional odds of the ordinal World Health Organization Clinical Progression Scale (WHO-CPS) score at day 14, the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included WHO-CPS score at day 7. SETTING Multiple hospitals within the Cleveland Clinic Health System. PATIENTS Adult patients admitted for COVID-19 between January 2021 and November 2021. INTERVENTIONS Receipt of tocilizumab, before its shortage, or baricitinib, during shortage. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS In total, 507 patients were included; 217 received tocilizumab and 290 received baricitinib. Over 96% of patients required ICU admission and 98% received concomitant dexamethasone. Tocilizumab recipients had higher (worse) baseline WHO-CPS scores. After adjustment, tocilizumab use was associated with higher odds of a worse day 14 WHO-CPS score compared with baricitinib (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.65 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10-2.48]). Similarly, after adjustment, tocilizumab use was associated with higher odds of a worse day 7 WHO-CPS score (adjusted OR 1.65 [95% CI 1.22-2.24]). CONCLUSIONS Baricitinib use was associated with better WHO-CPS scores at day 14 and day 7 compared with tocilizumab in a cohort of critically ill patients with COVID-19. The odds of having a one unit increase in WHO-CPS score at day 14 was 71% higher with tocilizumab than baricitinib. No difference in mortality or adverse effects was noted.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Seth R. Bauer
- Department of Pharmacy, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
| | | | - Abhijit Duggal
- Respiratory Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
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18
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Abdel-Salam Elgohary M, Ali A, J Alarfaj S, Shahin H, Ibrahim Zaki A, Medhat Hasan E, Emam Mohamed M, Mahmoud Elkholy A, El-Masry TA, Samir Kamal J, Ali AbdelRahim M, Wageh Saber A, Seadawy MG, Elshishtawy MHM, El-Bouseary MM. Even one dose of tocilizumab could hinder bad prognosis of cytokines storm in COVID-19 patients. Cytokine 2024; 173:156433. [PMID: 37972479 DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2023.156433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Severe COVID-19 pneumonia is a principal cause of death due to cascade of hyper inflammatory condition that leading to lung damage. Therefore, an effective therapy to countercurrent the surge of uncontrolled inflammation is mandatory to propose. Anti-interlukin-6 receptor antagonist monoclonal therapy, tocilizumab (TCZ) showed potential results in COVID-19 patients. This study aimed to emphasize the factors associated with mortality in COVID-19 patients that treated with tocilizumab and may influence the level of serum IL-6. A retrospective cohort study included all patients with clinical parameters that pointed to presence of cytokines storm and treated with one or more doses of TCZ beside the regular protocol of COVID-19 pneumonia. The factors that influence the mortality in addition to the level of serum IL-6 were analyzed. A total of 377 patients were included, 69.5 % of them received only one dose of TCZ which started mainly at the third day of admission. The mortality rate was 29.44 %. Regardless the time of starting TCZ, just one dose was fair enough to prevent bad consequence; OR = 0.04, P = 0.001.However, in spite of protective action of TCZ, older age and female sex were significant risk factors for mortality, P = 0.001 and 0.01 respectively, as well heart disease. Moreover, increasing the level of neutrophil, AST and IL-6 were associated with bad prognosis. In the same line, treatment with ivermectin, chloroquine and remdesivir inversely affect the level of IL-6. Early treatments of COVID-19 pneumonia with at least one dose of tocilizumab minimized the fatality rate.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Asmaa Ali
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Abbassia Chest Hospital, MOH, Cairo, Egypt; Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, PR China.
| | - Sumaiah J Alarfaj
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University. P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Hesham Shahin
- Chest Consultant, Manager of Military Chest Hospital, Cairo, Egypt.
| | | | | | | | | | - Thanaa A El-Masry
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tanta University, Egypt.
| | | | | | - Ashgan Wageh Saber
- Chemistry Laboratory Department, Central Military Laboratories, Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Mohamed G Seadawy
- Biological Prevention Department, Ministry of Defense, Cairo, Egypt.
| | | | - Maisra M El-Bouseary
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.
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19
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Cao X, Xie YL, Zhou CL, Mu H. The value of age IgG and IL6 in estimating time of viral clearance in asymptomatic or mild patients with COVID-19. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1256759. [PMID: 38125571 PMCID: PMC10731291 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1256759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between Age, immunoglobin G (IgG), immunoglobin M (IgM), procalcitonin (PCT), and interleukin-6 (IL6), and the time to clear viral nucleic acids in asymptomatic and mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, as well as evaluated the predictive value of these biochemical indicators. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis on 1,570 individuals who were admitted to Tianjin First Central Hospital and diagnosed with asymptomatic or mild cases. Laboratory data were collected, including age, gender, levels of IgG, IgM, PCT and IL6, as well as results of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleic acid test. These data were statistically analyzed using SPSS software, version 24.0. Results The results indicated that among mild patients, Age, IgG, and the time to clear viral nucleic acids were higher than asymptomatic patients (p < 0.05). And the time to clear viral nucleic acids was significantly correlated with Age, IgG, IgM, PCT, and IL6 (p < 0.05), IgG (r = -0.445, p < 0.001) showed moderate correlations. Using logistic regression analysis, we identified older age, high IL6 levels, and low IgG levels were risk factors for nucleic acid clearance exceeding 14 days (p < 0.05). When combining these three indicators to predict the probability of nucleic acid clearance exceeding 14 days in the 1,570 patients, the AUROC was found to be 0.727. Conclusion Age, IgG, and IL6 could potentially serve as useful predictors for nucleic acid clearance exceeding 14 days in asymptomatic and mild COVID-19 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Cao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Yong-Li Xie
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Tianjin Stomatological Hospital, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Oral and Maxillofacial Function Reconstruction, Tianjin, China
| | - Chun-lei Zhou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Hong Mu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin, China
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20
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Vivarelli E, Matucci A, Lucenteforte E, Bormioli S, Virgili G, Trotta M, Spinicci M, Bartoloni A, Zammarchi L, Peris A, Pieralli F, Lavorini F, Fontanari P, Morettini A, Nozzoli C, Poggesi L, Rossi O, Annunziato F, Almerigogna F, Vultaggio A. Effectiveness of tocilizumab in hospitalized moderate-to-severe COVID-19 patients: a real-life study. Panminerva Med 2023; 65:473-478. [PMID: 35274908 DOI: 10.23736/s0031-0808.21.04523-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To assess the clinical effectiveness of Tocilizumab (TCZ) in moderate-to-severe hospitalized COVID-19 patients and factors associated with clinical response. METHODS Five hundred eight inpatients with moderate-to-severe SARS-CoV-2 infection were enrolled. TCZ effect in addition to standard medical therapy was evaluated in terms of death during hospital stay. Unadjusted and adjusted risk of mortality for TCZ treated patients versus TCZ untreated ones was estimated using robust Cox regression model. We considered the combination of TCZ and ICU as time-dependent exposure and created a model using duplication method to assess the TCZ effect in very severe COVID-19 patients. RESULTS TCZ reduced death during hospital stay in the unadjusted model (HR 0.54, 95%CI 0.33-0.88) and also in the adjusted model, although with loss of statistical significance (HR 0.72, 0.43-1.20). Better effectiveness was observed in patients with low SpO2/FiO2 ratio (HR 0.35, 0.21-0.61 vs. 1.61, 0.54-4.82, P<0.05), and, without statistical significance, in patients with high CRP (HR 0.51, 0.30-0.87 vs. 0.41, 0.12-1.37, P=NS) and high IL-6 (HR 0.49, 0.29-0.82 vs. 1.00, 0.28-3.55, P=NS). TCZ was effective in patients not admitted to ICU, both in the unadjusted (HR 0.33, 0.14-0.74) and in the adjusted (HR 0.39, 0.17-0.91) model but no benefit was observed in critical ICU-admitted patients both in the unadjusted (HR 0.66, 0.37-1.15) and in the adjusted model (HR 0.95, 0.54-1.68). CONCLUSIONS Our real-life study suggests clinical efficacy of TCZ in moderate-to-severe COVID-19 patients but not in end-stage disease. Thus, to enhance TCZ effectiveness, patients should be selected before grave compromise of clinical conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrea Matucci
- Unit of Immunoallergology, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Ersilia Lucenteforte
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Susanna Bormioli
- Unit of Immunoallergology, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Gianni Virgili
- Department of Ophthalmology, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Michele Trotta
- Unit of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Michele Spinicci
- Unit of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Alessandro Bartoloni
- Unit of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Zammarchi
- Unit of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Adriano Peris
- Intensive Care Unit, Regional ECMO Referral Center, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Filippo Pieralli
- Intermediate Care Unit, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Federico Lavorini
- Pneumology and Intensive Care Unit, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Paolo Fontanari
- Cardiac Anesthesia and Intensive Care Unit, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Carlo Nozzoli
- Internal Medicine Unit1, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Loredana Poggesi
- Internal Medicine Unit3, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Oliviero Rossi
- Unit of Immunoallergology, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Francesco Annunziato
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Flow Cytometry Diagnostic Center, and Immunotherapy (CDCI), Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Fabio Almerigogna
- Unit of Immunoallergology, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
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21
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Davoutis E, Panou C, Stachika N, Dalla C, Kokras N. Drug-drug interactions between COVID-19 drug therapies and antidepressants. Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol 2023; 19:937-950. [PMID: 37934891 DOI: 10.1080/17425255.2023.2280750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Antidepressants are widely used for the pharmacological treatment of anxiety and mood disorders. Since the eruption of the SARS-COV-2 pandemic and the later development of targeted treatments against COVID-19, inevitably many patients receive antidepressants as well as targeted treatments against COVID-19 against COVID-19. Co-administration of antidepressants with COVID-19 therapeutics has the potential of drug-drug interactions, of varying severity and clinical significance. AREAS COVERED This is a curated narrative review of the current state of the art regarding drug-drug interactions between COVID-19 therapeutics and medications licensed for the pharmacotherapy of depression. A systematic search of electronic databases, using as keywords the international nonproprietaty names of currently approved COVID-19 therapeutics and antidepressants was performed, and additionally online interaction checker tools were consulted. Derived data were synthesized for each COVID-19 therapeutic and presented with up-to-date guidance. EXPERT OPINION Several COVID-19 therapeutics have potential for drug-drug interactions with antidepressants. Remdesivir and Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir have the higher risk, whereas several monoclonal antibodies appear safer. The most serious drug-drug interactions (serotonin syndrome and QTc prolongation) require close monitoring; however, DDI toward reducing the efficacy of antidepressants may be difficult to recognize. As COVID-19 treatment protocols take precedence, psychiatrists should exert flexibility in antidepressant use and proactively monitor treatment progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Efstathia Davoutis
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Chrysa Panou
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolina Stachika
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Christina Dalla
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Kokras
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- First Department of Psychiatry, Eginition Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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22
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Zhou Y, Liu Y, Jiang L, Zhang R, Zhang H, Shi Q, Yang Z, Mao Y, Liu S, Yang Z, Ding J, Zhou Y, Ren B, He L, Zhao X, Li W, Li S, Liu D. Azvudine and nirmatrelvir-ritonavir in hospitalized patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19: Emulation of a randomized target trial. J Med Virol 2023; 95:e29318. [PMID: 38112106 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.29318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
To examine the effectiveness of azvudine and nirmatrelvir-ritonavir in treating hospitalized patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19. We emulated a target trial with a multicenter retrospective cohort of hospitalized adults with moderate-to-severe COVID-19 without contraindications for azvudine or nirmatrelvir-ritonavir between December 01, 2022 and January 19, 2023 (during the Omicron BA.5.2 variant wave). Exposures included treatment with azvudine or nirmatrelvir-ritonavir for 5 days versus no antiviral treatment during hospitalization. Primary composite outcome (all-cause death and initiation of invasive mechanical ventilation), and their separate events were evaluated. Of the 1154 patients, 27.2% were severe cases. In the intent-to-treat analyses, azvudine reduced all-cause death (Hazard ratio [HR]: 0.31; 95% CI: 0.12-0.78), and its composite with invasive mechanical ventilation (HR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.24-0.92). Nirmatrelvir-ritonavir reduced invasive mechanical ventilation (HR: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.17-1.05), and its composite with all-cause death (HR: 0.38; 95% CI: 0.18-0.81). The study did not identify credible subgroup effects. The per-protocol analyses and all sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the findings. Both azvudine and nirmatrelvir-ritonavir improved the prognosis of hospitalized adults with moderate-to-severe COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiling Zhou
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yi Liu
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Li Jiang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Renqing Zhang
- Chengdu Public Health Clinical Medical Center, Chengdu, China
| | - Huohuo Zhang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Qingyang Shi
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhirong Yang
- Department of Computational Biology and Health Informatics, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Primary Care Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Yi Mao
- Chengdu Public Health Clinical Medical Center, Chengdu, China
| | - Sha Liu
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhibo Yang
- Integrated Care Management Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jialin Ding
- Integrated Care Management Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yongzhao Zhou
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Bi Ren
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Liping He
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Xing Zhao
- West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Weimin Li
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Institute of Respiratory Health, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Precision Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Sheyu Li
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Chinese Evidence-Based Medicine Center, Cochrane China Center and MAGIC China Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Dan Liu
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Institute of Respiratory Health, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Precision Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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Keske Ş, Akyol M, Tanrıöver C, Özlüşen B, Akcan RE, Güler U, Sait B, Kaçmaz B, Gönen M, Ergönül Ö. Effectiveness of tocilizumab in non-intubated cases with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Infection 2023; 51:1619-1628. [PMID: 37162716 PMCID: PMC10170028 DOI: 10.1007/s15010-023-02047-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Tocilizumab, a monoclonal IL-6 receptor blocker, is an effective agent for severe-to-critical cases of COVID-19; however, its target patients for the optimum use need to be detailed. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to define its effect among severely ill but non-intubated cases with COVID-19. METHODS We searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Medrxiv, and Biorxiv until February 13, 2022, for non-intubated cases, and included randomized-controlled trials (RCT) based on bias assessment. The primary outcomes were the requirement of invasive mechanical ventilation and mortality. Random effect and fixed-effect models were used. The heterogeneity was measured using the χ2 and I2 statistics, with χ2 p ≤ 0.05 and I2 ≥ 50% indicating the presence of significant heterogeneity. We registered the study to the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) with the registration number CRD42021232575. RESULTS Among 261 articles, 11 RCTs were included. The pooled analysis of the 11 RCTs demonstrated that the rate of mortality was significantly lower in the tocilizumab group than in the control group (20.0% and 24.2%, OR: 0.84, 95% CI 0.73-0.96, and heterogeneity I2 = 0%. p = 0.82.). The mechanical ventilation rate was lower in the tocilizumab group than the control group (27% vs 35.2%, OR: 0.76, 95% CI 0.67-0.86, and heterogeneity I2 = 6%. p = 0.39). CONCLUSION Among non-intubated severe COVID-19 cases, tocilizumab reduces the risk of invasive mechanical ventilation and mortality compared to standard-of-care treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Şiran Keske
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Koç University, Davutpaşa Cd. No:4, Zeytinburnu, 34010, Istanbul, Turkey.
- Koç University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID), Istanbul, Turkey.
| | - Merve Akyol
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Koç University, Davutpaşa Cd. No:4, Zeytinburnu, 34010, Istanbul, Turkey
- Koç University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID), Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Cem Tanrıöver
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Koç University, Davutpaşa Cd. No:4, Zeytinburnu, 34010, Istanbul, Turkey
- Koç University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID), Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Batu Özlüşen
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Koç University, Davutpaşa Cd. No:4, Zeytinburnu, 34010, Istanbul, Turkey
- Koç University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID), Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Rüştü Emre Akcan
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Koç University, Davutpaşa Cd. No:4, Zeytinburnu, 34010, Istanbul, Turkey
- Koç University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID), Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ulaş Güler
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Koç University, Davutpaşa Cd. No:4, Zeytinburnu, 34010, Istanbul, Turkey
- Koç University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID), Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Bilgin Sait
- Department of Internal Medicine, American Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Bahar Kaçmaz
- Department of Infectious Diseases, American Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Mehmet Gönen
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Koç University, Davutpaşa Cd. No:4, Zeytinburnu, 34010, Istanbul, Turkey
- Koç University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID), Istanbul, Turkey
- Department of Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Önder Ergönül
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Koç University, Davutpaşa Cd. No:4, Zeytinburnu, 34010, Istanbul, Turkey
- Koç University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID), Istanbul, Turkey
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24
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Adzic-Vukicevic T, Markovic D, Reljic A, Brkovic V. What did we learn about tocilizumab use against COVID-19? A single-center observational study from an intensive care unit in Serbia. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10:1253135. [PMID: 38034537 PMCID: PMC10683091 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1253135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Selection of effective and safe therapy for management of patients with coronavirus disease is challenging. Tocilizumab (TZB) has emerged as a potential treatment option for COVID-19. Several aspects regarding Tocilizumab treatment remain uncertain, such as the optimal timing for its administration and the safety profile, including the potential risk of infections. The aim of the study is to present the clinical characteristics of patients with COVID-19 following the application of Tocilizumab. Methods This is a retrospective analysis of 121 patients with severe forms of COVID-19 previously treated with Tocilizumab was conducted. All patients were admitted to intensive care units (ICUs). Results Of 121 patients, the majority were men 72 (59.5%) with a median age at presentation of 65 ± 13 years. Only 9 (7.43%) patients were without comorbidities, while the other 112 (92.55%) had two or more comorbidities. Almost all of the 120 patients (99.2%) needed oxygen therapy, such as nasal cannulas in 110 (90.9%) patients, high flow nasal catheter (HFNC) in 4 (3.3%) patients, and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in 5 (4.1%) patients while 1 patient was intubated at the time of hospital admission. The average time from Tocilizumab application to admission to the ICU was 3 days. During clinical deterioration, almost half 57 (47.1%) of the patients were intubated, and 52 (82.5%) of these intubated patients (p < 0.001) had lethal outcomes. The most significant predictors for a lethal outcome according to multivariate analysis were diabetes mellitus (p < 0.001) followed by a subsequent elevation in C-reactive protein levels (CRP; p < 0.002) and ferritin (p < 0.013) after Tocilizumab application. Bloodstream infections were found in 20 (16.5%) patients, most frequently with Gram-negative pathogens like Acinetobacter spp. as in 12 (18.6%) patients, Klebsiella spp. in 6 (8%) patients, and Pseudomonas spp. in 2 (3.2%) patients. Urine culture isolates were found in 9 (7.43%) patients, with Candida spp. being most frequently isolated in 7 (5.8%) patients, followed by Klebsiella spp. and Pseudomonas spp. in 1 patient each (0.8%). Significantly lower survival was seen in patients with proven infection. Conclusion The benefit of tocilizumab was not found in our study. The high mortality rate among intubated patients after Tocilizumab use suggests appropriate patient selection and monitoring and emphasizes the risk of superinfections. Diabetes mellitus, increased levels of CRP, and ferritin were identified as the most significant predictors of poor outcomes in contrast to increased levels of IL-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatjana Adzic-Vukicevic
- Clinic of Pulmonology, University Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Dejan Markovic
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
- Clinic for Anesthesiology, University Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Aleksandar Reljic
- Covid Hospital Batajnica, University Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Voin Brkovic
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
- Clinic for Nephrology, University Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
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25
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Wong MYC, Ou KL, Man Leung K. Investigating and promoting health behaviors reactivity among Hong Kong older adults in the post-COVID-19 Era: An exploratory network analysis. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0293512. [PMID: 37917757 PMCID: PMC10621926 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Physical distance has increased the risk of developing a variety of health problems, especially among older people. During the COVID-19 lockdown period, physical activity decreased, screen time increased, food consumption increased, as well as exposure to unhealthy behaviour, leading to poorer sleep quality and more negative emotions, which ultimately led to poorer physical health, mental health, and subjective vitality among older adults. Although there were numerous research studies on changes in health behaviours during COVID-19, only a few were targeted at older adults, and none were conducted in Asian countries. METHOD The current study is aiming to identify the changes in health behaviours, as well as their associations with older adults' mental health as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic among Hong Kong older adults, using exploratory network analysis. In this study, a random tele-survey was conducted among older adults. RESULTS A total of 664 participants have been involved in the telephone survey, with 213 males and 451 females, of which mean age was 74.37. The explored network showed strong centrality and edge stability, thus enabling to reveal an overview of the associations between health behaviours and mental well-being of older adults. The lavaan model has also demonstrated the casual paths within the explored network, which indicated the significant impact of sleeping quality, eating habits and social networking on resilience. CONCLUSION The outcomes of the study were able to identify the lifestyle changes of Hong Kong older adults due to COVID-19. Although the present study is not regarded as novel internationally, it may be representative of the Hong Kong community. In order to facilitate active aging during the pandemic, a user-friendly electronic platform for healthy living should include older adults in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kai-ling Ou
- Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ka Man Leung
- The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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26
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Prasad R, Ajith H, Kumar Chandrakumaran N, Dnyaneshwar Khangar P, Mohan A, Nelson-Sathi S. In silico study identifies peptide inhibitors that negate the effect of non-synonymous mutations in major drug targets of SARS-CoV-2 variants. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:9551-9561. [PMID: 36377464 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2143426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Since its advent in December 2019, SARS-CoV-2 has diverged into multiple variants with differing levels of virulence owing to the accumulation of mutations in its genome. The structural changes induced by non-synonymous mutations in major drug targets of the virus are known to alter the binding of potential antagonistic inhibitors. Here, we analyzed the effects of non-synonymous mutations in major targets of SARS-CoV-2 in response to potential peptide inhibitors. We screened 12 peptides reported to have anti-viral properties against RBD and 5 peptides against Mpro of SARS-CoV-2 variants using molecular docking and simulation approaches. The mutational landscape of RBD among SARS-CoV-2 variants had 21 non-synonymous mutations across 18 distinct sites. Among these, 14 mutations were present in the RBM region directly interacting with the hACE2 receptor. However, Only 3 non-synonymous mutations were observed in Mpro. We found that LCB1 - a de novo-synthesized peptide has the highest binding affinity to RBD despite non-synonymous mutations in variants and engages key residues of RBD-hACE2 interaction such as K417, E484, N487, and N501. Similarly, an antimicrobial peptide; 2JOS, was identified against Mpro with high binding affinity as it interacts with key residues in dimerization sites such as E166 and F140 crucial for viral replication. MD simulations affirm the stability of RBD-LCB1 and Mpro-2JOS complexes with an average RMSD of 1.902 and 2.476 respectively. We ascertain that LCB1 and 2JOS peptides are promising inhibitors to combat emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 and thus warrant further investigations using in-vitro and in-vivo analysis.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roshny Prasad
- Bioinformatics Laboratory, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, India
| | - Harikrishnan Ajith
- Bioinformatics Laboratory, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, India
| | | | | | - Anand Mohan
- Bioinformatics Laboratory, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, India
| | - Shijulal Nelson-Sathi
- Bioinformatics Laboratory, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, India
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27
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Yu W, Li Y, Liu D, Wang Y, Li J, Du Y, Gao GF, Li Z, Xu Y, Wei J. Evaluation and Mechanistic Investigation of Human Milk Oligosaccharide against SARS-CoV-2. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2023; 71:16102-16113. [PMID: 37856320 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c04275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Four human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), 3'-sialyllactose (3'-SL), 6'-sialyllactose (6'-SL), 2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL), and 3-fucosyllactose (3-FL), were assessed for their possible antiviral activity against the SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor binding domain (RBD) in vitro. Among them, only 2'-FL/3-FL exhibited obvious antibinding activity against direct binding and trans-binding in competitive immunocytochemistry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The antiviral effects of 2'-FL/3-FL were further confirmed by pseudoviral assays with three SARS-Cov-2 mutants, with a stronger inhibition effect of 2'-FL than 3-FL. Then, 2'-FL/3-FL were studied with molecular docking and microscale thermophoresis analysis, showing that the binding sites of 2'-FL on RBD were involved in receptor binding, in addition to a tighter bond between them, thus enabling 2'-FL to be more effective than 3-FL. Moreover, the immunomodulation effect of 2'-FL was preliminary evaluated and confirmed in a human alveolus chip. These results would open up possible applications of 2'-FL for the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infections by competitive binding inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiyan Yu
- College of Bioscience and Bioengineering, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang Economic and Technological Development Zone, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330045, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
| | - Dongdong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 North Second Street, Zhongguancun, Haidian District, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongliang Wang
- Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, 95 Yongan Road, Xicheng District, Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianjun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 North Second Street, Zhongguancun, Haidian District, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuguang Du
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 North Second Street, Zhongguancun, Haidian District, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
| | - George Fu Gao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhimin Li
- College of Bioscience and Bioengineering, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang Economic and Technological Development Zone, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330045, People's Republic of China
| | - Yueqiang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 North Second Street, Zhongguancun, Haidian District, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinhua Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 North Second Street, Zhongguancun, Haidian District, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
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28
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Skarbinski J, Fischer H, Hong V, Liu L, Yau VM, Incerti D, Qian L, Ackerson BK, Amsden LB, Shaw SF, Tartof SY. Real-World Evidence to Supplement Randomized Clinical Trials: Tocilizumab for Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia vs. a Cohort Receiving Standard of Care. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2023; 114:1073-1081. [PMID: 37571812 DOI: 10.1002/cpt.3020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) remain the gold standard for evaluating treatment efficacy, but real-world evidence can supplement RCT results. Tocilizumab was not found to reduce 28-day mortality in a phase III, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (COVACTA) among hospitalized patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. We created a real-world external comparator arm mirroring the COVACTA trial to confirm findings and assess the feasibility of using an external comparator arm to supplement an RCT. Eligible COVACTA participants in both the tocilizumab treatment and placebo arms were matched 1:1 using propensity score matching to persons without tocilizumab exposure in an external comparator arm. Adjusted Cox proportional hazard models estimated differences in 28-day mortality comparing COVACTA participants to matched external comparator arm participants. Patients in the COVACTA tocilizumab treatment arm had a similar risk of death compared with patients in the external comparator arm (hazard ratio (HR): 1.09, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.64-1.84) with similar estimated 28-day mortality in the COVACTA tocilizumab treatment arm compared with the external comparator arm (18%, 95% CI: 13-24 vs. 19%, 95% CI: 13-24, P > 0.9). COVACTA placebo treatment arm participants had a similar risk of mortality (adjusted HR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.32-1.46) compared with the external comparator arm. Using an external comparator arm has the potential to supplement RCT data and support results of primary RCT analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacek Skarbinski
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, California, USA
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Oakland Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, California, USA
| | - Heidi Fischer
- Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, California, Pasadena, USA
| | - Vennis Hong
- Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, California, Pasadena, USA
| | - Liyan Liu
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, California, USA
| | - Vincent M Yau
- Genentech, a Member of the Roche Group, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Devin Incerti
- Genentech, a Member of the Roche Group, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Lei Qian
- Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, California, Pasadena, USA
| | - Bradley K Ackerson
- Southern California Permanente Medical Group, Harbor City, California, USA
| | - Laura B Amsden
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, California, USA
| | - Sally F Shaw
- Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, California, Pasadena, USA
| | - Sara Y Tartof
- Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, California, Pasadena, USA
- Department of Health Systems Science, Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, Pasadena, California, USA
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29
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Aljuhani O, Al Sulaiman K, B Korayem G, Alharbi A, Altebainawi AF, Aldkheel SA, Alotaibi SG, Vishwakarma R, Alshareef H, Alsohimi S, AlFaifi M, Al Shaya A, Alhaidal HA, Alsubaie RM, Alrashidi H, Albarqi KJ, Alangari DT, Alanazi RM, Altaher NM, Al-Dorzi HM. The use of Tocilizumab in COVID-19 critically ill patients with renal impairment: a multicenter, cohort study. Ren Fail 2023; 45:2268213. [PMID: 37870869 PMCID: PMC11001317 DOI: 10.1080/0886022x.2023.2268213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Tocilizumab (TCZ) is recommended in patients with COVID-19 who require oxygen therapy or ventilatory support. Despite the wide use of TCZ, little is known about its safety and effectiveness in patients with COVID-19 and renal impairment. Therefore, this study evaluated the safety and effectiveness of TCZ in critically ill patients with COVID-19 and renal impairment. A multicenter retrospective cohort study included all adult COVID-19 patients with renal impairment (eGFR˂60 mL/min) admitted to the ICUs between March 2020 and July 2021. Patients were categorized into two groups based on TCZ use (Control vs. TCZ). The primary endpoint was the development of acute kidney injury (AKI) during ICU stay. We screened 1599 patients for eligibility; 394 patients were eligible, and 225 patients were included after PS matching (1:2 ratio); there were 75 TCZ-treated subjects and 150 controls. The rate of AKI was higher in the TCZ group compared with the control group (72.2% versus 57.4%; p = 0.03; OR: 1.83; 95% CI: 1.01, 3.34; p = 0.04). Additionally, the ICU length of stay was significantly longer in patients who received TCZ (17.5 days versus 12.5 days; p = 0.006, Beta coefficient: 0.30 days, 95% CI: 0.09, 0.50; p = 0.005). On the other hand, the 30-day and in-hospital mortality were lower in patients who received TCZ compared to the control group (HR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.27, 0.73; p = 0.01 and HR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.41, 0.96; p = 0.03, respectively). The use of TCZ in this population was associated with a statistically significantly higher rate of AKI while improving the overall survival on the other hand. Further research is needed to assess the risks and benefits of TCZ treatment in critically ill COVID-19 patients with renal impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ohoud Aljuhani
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khalid Al Sulaiman
- Pharmaceutical Care Department, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- College of Pharmacy, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Critical Care Pharmacy Research (SCAPE) Platform, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ghazwa B Korayem
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Aisha Alharbi
- Pharmaceutical Care Department, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ali F. Altebainawi
- Pharmaceutical Care Services, King Salman Specialist Hospital, Hail Health Cluster, Ministry of Health, Hail, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shatha A. Aldkheel
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sarah G. Alotaibi
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Hanan Alshareef
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
| | - Samiah Alsohimi
- Pharmaceutical Care Services, King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Pharmaceutical Care Services, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mashael AlFaifi
- Pharmaceutical Care Department, King Saud Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulrahman Al Shaya
- Pharmaceutical Care Department, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- College of Pharmacy, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Haifa A. Alhaidal
- College of Pharmacy, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Raghad M. Alsubaie
- College of Pharmacy, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hessah Alrashidi
- College of Pharmacy, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khalid J. Albarqi
- College of Pharmacy, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Dalal T. Alangari
- College of Pharmacy, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Reem M. Alanazi
- College of Pharmacy, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Noora M. Altaher
- College of Pharmacy, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hasan M. Al-Dorzi
- King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Intensive Care Department, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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30
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Hraiech S, Ladjal K, Guervilly C, Hyvernat H, Papazian L, Forel JM, Lopez A, Peres N, Dellamonica J, Leone M, Gragueb-Chatti I. Lung abscess following ventilator-associated pneumonia during COVID-19: a retrospective multicenter cohort study. Crit Care 2023; 27:385. [PMID: 37794402 PMCID: PMC10552315 DOI: 10.1186/s13054-023-04660-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients undergoing mechanical ventilation (MV) for COVID-19 exhibit an increased risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). The occurrence of lung abscesses following VAP in these patients has been poorly studied. We aimed to describe the incidence, characteristics, risk factors and prognosis of lung abscesses complicating VAP after COVID-19. METHODS We conducted an observational, retrospective study in three French intensive care units. Patients admitted for acute respiratory failure with a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 PCR and requiring MV for more than 48 h were included. RESULTS Among the 507 patients included, 326 (64%) had a documented VAP. Of these, 23 (7%) developed a lung abscess. Enterobacterales (15/23, 65%) were the main documentation, followed by non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli (10/23, 43%) and Gram-positive cocci (8/23, 35%). Lung abscesses were mainly plurimicrobial (15/23, 65%). In multivariate analysis, a plurimicrobial 1st VAP episode (OR (95% CI) 2.93 (1.16-7.51); p = 0.02) and the use of hydrocortisone (OR (95% CI) 4.86 (1.95-12.1); p = 0.001) were associated with lung abscess development. Intensive care unit (ICU) mortality of patients with lung abscesses reached 52%, but was not significantly higher than for patients with VAP but no lung abscess. Patients with lung abscesses had reduced ventilator-free days at day 60, a longer duration of MV and ICU stay than patients with VAP but no lung abscess (respectively, 0 (0-3) vs. 16 (0-42) days; p < 0.001, 49 (32-73) vs. 25 (11-41) days; p < 0.001, 52 (36-77) vs. 28 (16-47) days; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Lung abscessing pneumonia is not uncommon among COVID-19 patients developing VAP. A plurimicrobial first VAP episode and the use of hydrocortisone are independently associated with this complication. In COVID-19 patients with persistent VAP, a chest CT scan investigating the evolution toward lung abscess should be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Hraiech
- Service de Médecine Intensive - Réanimation, AP-HM, Hôpital Nord, Marseille, France.
- Faculté de Médecine, Aix-Marseille Université, Centre d'Etudes Et de Recherches Sur Les Services de Santé Et Qualité de Vie EA 3279, 13005, Marseille, France.
| | - K Ladjal
- Service de Médecine Intensive - Réanimation, AP-HM, Hôpital Nord, Marseille, France
| | - C Guervilly
- Service de Médecine Intensive - Réanimation, AP-HM, Hôpital Nord, Marseille, France
| | - H Hyvernat
- CHU de Nice, Hôpital Archet 1, Médecine Intensive Réanimation, 06200, Nice, France
- Equipe 2 CARRES, UR2CA, Unité de Recherche Clinique Côte d'Azur, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - L Papazian
- Faculté de Médecine, Aix-Marseille Université, Centre d'Etudes Et de Recherches Sur Les Services de Santé Et Qualité de Vie EA 3279, 13005, Marseille, France
- Centre Hospitalier de Bastia, 20600, Bastia, Corsica, France
| | - J M Forel
- Service de Médecine Intensive - Réanimation, AP-HM, Hôpital Nord, Marseille, France
- Faculté de Médecine, Aix-Marseille Université, Centre d'Etudes Et de Recherches Sur Les Services de Santé Et Qualité de Vie EA 3279, 13005, Marseille, France
| | - A Lopez
- Service d'Anesthésie Et de Réanimation, Aix Marseille Université, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux Universitaires de Marseille, Hôpital Nord, Marseille, France
| | - N Peres
- Service de Réanimation Polyvalente, Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal Toulon - La Seyne sur Mer, Toulon, France
| | - J Dellamonica
- CHU de Nice, Hôpital Archet 1, Médecine Intensive Réanimation, 06200, Nice, France
- Equipe 2 CARRES, UR2CA, Unité de Recherche Clinique Côte d'Azur, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - M Leone
- Service d'Anesthésie Et de Réanimation, Aix Marseille Université, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux Universitaires de Marseille, Hôpital Nord, Marseille, France
| | - I Gragueb-Chatti
- Service de Médecine Intensive - Réanimation, AP-HM, Hôpital Nord, Marseille, France
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31
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Tang SW, Helmeste DM, Leonard BE. COVID-19 as a polymorphic inflammatory spectrum of diseases: a review with focus on the brain. Acta Neuropsychiatr 2023; 35:248-269. [PMID: 36861428 DOI: 10.1017/neu.2023.17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
There appear to be huge variations and aberrations in the reported data in COVID-19 2 years now into the pandemic. Conflicting data exist at almost every level and also in the reported epidemiological statistics across different regions. It is becoming clear that COVID-19 is a polymorphic inflammatory spectrum of diseases, and there is a wide range of inflammation-related pathology and symptoms in those infected with the virus. The host's inflammatory response to COVID-19 appears to be determined by genetics, age, immune status, health status and stage of disease. The interplay of these factors may decide the magnitude, duration, types of pathology, symptoms and prognosis in the spectrum of COVID-19 disorders, and whether neuropsychiatric disorders continue to be significant. Early and successful management of inflammation reduces morbidity and mortality in all stages of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siu Wa Tang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Institute of Brain Medicine, Hong Kong, China
| | - Daiga Maret Helmeste
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Institute of Brain Medicine, Hong Kong, China
| | - Brian E Leonard
- Institute of Brain Medicine, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Pharmacology, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
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32
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Piersanti G, Landoni G, Scquizzato T, Zangrillo A, Piemonti L. Reparixin improves survival in critically ill and transplant patients: A meta-analysis. Eur J Clin Invest 2023; 53:e14015. [PMID: 37161521 DOI: 10.1111/eci.14015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reparixin, an anti-inflammatory drug that inhibits interleukin 8 (IL-8) activity, might be life-saving for high-risk in-hospital patients without increasing the risk of infection according to a previous meta-analysis. With the increasing availability of randomised data the aim of the current study is to update previous findings by including any randomised control trials (RCTs) investigating the impact of reparixin on survival of critically ill or transplant patients. METHODS A search strategy was developed to identify all RCTs involving reparixin in critically ill or transplant patients, with the exclusion of oncological patients. Two trained and independent authors conducted a thorough search of relevant databases. In addition, backward snowballing was employed. Language restrictions were not imposed. RESULTS Our analysis included a total of nine studies involving 733 patients: 437 received reparixin and 296 the comparator. The reparixin group had a significantly lower all-cause mortality rate compared to the control group [15/437 (3.4%) vs. 19/294 (6.4%), odds ratio = 0.47 (95% confidence interval 0.23-0.96), p-value for effect .04, I2 = 22%, number needed to treat = 33]. These findings had the same direction and magnitude of effect across COVID-19 patients (n = 325) and non-COVID-19 patients (n = 408). Furthermore, there were no significant differences in the rate of pneumonia, sepsis or non-serious infections between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this meta-analysis indicate that reparixin, an anti-inflammatory drug, improved survival in critically ill or transplant patients (including both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients) without increasing the risk of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gioia Piersanti
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Giovanni Landoni
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Faculty of Medicine, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Tommaso Scquizzato
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Alberto Zangrillo
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Faculty of Medicine, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Piemonti
- Faculty of Medicine, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
- Diabetes Research Institute, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
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33
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Shivram H, Hackney JA, Rosenberger CM, Teterina A, Qamra A, Onabajo O, McBride J, Cai F, Bao M, Tsai L, Regev A, Rosas IO, Bauer RN. Transcriptomic and proteomic assessment of tocilizumab response in a randomized controlled trial of patients hospitalized with COVID-19. iScience 2023; 26:107597. [PMID: 37664617 PMCID: PMC10470387 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
High interleukin (IL)-6 levels are associated with greater COVID-19 severity. IL-6 receptor blockade by tocilizumab (anti-IL6R; Actemra) is used globally for the treatment of severe COVID-19, yet a molecular understanding of the therapeutic benefit remains unclear. We characterized the immune profile and identified cellular and molecular pathways modified by tocilizumab in peripheral blood samples from patients enrolled in the COVACTA study, a phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the efficacy and safety of tocilizumab in hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19. We identified markers of inflammation, lymphopenia, myeloid dysregulation, and organ injury that predict disease severity and clinical outcomes. Proteomic analysis confirmed a pharmacodynamic effect for tocilizumab and identified novel pharmacodynamic biomarkers. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that tocilizumab treatment leads to faster resolution of lymphopenia and myeloid dysregulation associated with severe COVID-19, indicating greater anti-inflammatory activity relative to placebo and potentially leading to faster recovery in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Aditi Qamra
- Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Mississauga, ON L5N 5M8, Canada
| | | | | | - Fang Cai
- Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Min Bao
- Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Larry Tsai
- Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Aviv Regev
- Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
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Hansford HJ, Cashin AG, Jones MD, Swanson SA, Islam N, Douglas SRG, Rizzo RRN, Devonshire JJ, Williams SA, Dahabreh IJ, Dickerman BA, Egger M, Garcia-Albeniz X, Golub RM, Lodi S, Moreno-Betancur M, Pearson SA, Schneeweiss S, Sterne JAC, Sharp MK, Stuart EA, Hernán MA, Lee H, McAuley JH. Reporting of Observational Studies Explicitly Aiming to Emulate Randomized Trials: A Systematic Review. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2336023. [PMID: 37755828 PMCID: PMC10534275 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.36023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Importance Observational (nonexperimental) studies that aim to emulate a randomized trial (ie, the target trial) are increasingly informing medical and policy decision-making, but it is unclear how these studies are reported in the literature. Consistent reporting is essential for quality appraisal, evidence synthesis, and translation of evidence to policy and practice. Objective To assess the reporting of observational studies that explicitly aimed to emulate a target trial. Evidence Review We searched Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, and Web of Science for observational studies published between March 2012 and October 2022 that explicitly aimed to emulate a target trial of a health or medical intervention. Two reviewers double-screened and -extracted data on study characteristics, key predefined components of the target trial protocol and its emulation (eligibility criteria, treatment strategies, treatment assignment, outcome[s], follow-up, causal contrast[s], and analysis plan), and other items related to the target trial emulation. Findings A total of 200 studies that explicitly aimed to emulate a target trial were included. These studies included 26 subfields of medicine, and 168 (84%) were published from January 2020 to October 2022. The aim to emulate a target trial was explicit in 70 study titles (35%). Forty-three studies (22%) reported use of a published reporting guideline (eg, Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology). Eighty-five studies (43%) did not describe all key items of how the target trial was emulated and 113 (57%) did not describe the protocol of the target trial and its emulation. Conclusion and Relevance In this systematic review of 200 studies that explicitly aimed to emulate a target trial, reporting of how the target trial was emulated was inconsistent. A reporting guideline for studies explicitly aiming to emulate a target trial may improve the reporting of the target trial protocols and other aspects of these emulation attempts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harrison J. Hansford
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Centre for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia
| | - Aidan G. Cashin
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Centre for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia
| | - Matthew D. Jones
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Centre for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia
| | - Sonja A. Swanson
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- CAUSALab, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Nazrul Islam
- Oxford Population Health, Big Data Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Susan R. G. Douglas
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Rodrigo R. N. Rizzo
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Centre for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jack J. Devonshire
- Centre for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia
| | - Sam A. Williams
- Centre for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia
| | - Issa J. Dahabreh
- CAUSALab, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Barbra A. Dickerman
- CAUSALab, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Matthias Egger
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Xabier Garcia-Albeniz
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- RTI Health Solutions, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Robert M. Golub
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Sara Lodi
- CAUSALab, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Margarita Moreno-Betancur
- Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics Unit, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sallie-Anne Pearson
- School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sebastian Schneeweiss
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jonathan A. C. Sterne
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- NIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, Bristol, United Kingdom
- Health Data Research UK South-West, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Melissa K. Sharp
- Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Elizabeth A. Stuart
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Miguel A. Hernán
- CAUSALab, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Hopin Lee
- University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - James H. McAuley
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Centre for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia
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Martinuka O, Hazard D, Marateb HR, Maringe C, Mansourian M, Rubio-Rivas M, Wolkewitz M. Target trial emulation with multi-state model analysis to assess treatment effectiveness using clinical COVID-19 data. BMC Med Res Methodol 2023; 23:197. [PMID: 37660025 PMCID: PMC10474639 DOI: 10.1186/s12874-023-02001-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Real-world observational data are an important source of evidence on the treatment effectiveness for patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, observational studies evaluating treatment effectiveness based on longitudinal data are often prone to methodological biases such as immortal time bias, confounding bias, and competing risks. METHODS For exemplary target trial emulation, we used a cohort of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (n = 501) in a single centre. We described the methodology for evaluating the effectiveness of a single-dose treatment, emulated a trial using real-world data, and drafted a hypothetical study protocol describing the main components. To avoid immortal time and time-fixed confounding biases, we applied the clone-censor-weight technique. We set a 5-day grace period as a period of time when treatment could be initiated. We used the inverse probability of censoring weights to account for the selection bias introduced by artificial censoring. To estimate the treatment effects, we took the multi-state model approach. We considered a multi-state model with five states. The primary endpoint was defined as clinical severity status, assessed by a 5-point ordinal scale on day 30. Differences between the treatment group and standard of care treatment group were calculated using a proportional odds model and shown as odds ratios. Additionally, the weighted cause-specific hazards and transition probabilities for each treatment arm were presented. RESULTS Our study demonstrates that trial emulation with a multi-state model analysis is a suitable approach to address observational data limitations, evaluate treatment effects on clinically heterogeneous in-hospital death and discharge alive endpoints, and consider the intermediate state of admission to ICU. The multi-state model analysis allows us to summarize results using stacked probability plots that make it easier to interpret results. CONCLUSIONS Extending the emulated target trial approach to multi-state model analysis complements treatment effectiveness analysis by gaining information on competing events. Combining two methodologies offers an option to address immortal time bias, confounding bias, and competing risk events. This methodological approach can provide additional insight for decision-making, particularly when data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are unavailable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oksana Martinuka
- Institute of Medical Biometry and Statistics, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Centre, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Derek Hazard
- Institute of Medical Biometry and Statistics, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Centre, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Hamid Reza Marateb
- Biomedical Engineering Research Centre (CREB), Automatic Control Department (ESAII), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-Barcelona Tech (UPC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Camille Maringe
- Inequalities in Cancer Outcomes Network (ICON), Department of Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Marjan Mansourian
- Biomedical Engineering Research Centre (CREB), Automatic Control Department (ESAII), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-Barcelona Tech (UPC), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Manuel Rubio-Rivas
- Department of Internal Medicine, Bellvitge University Hospital, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Martin Wolkewitz
- Institute of Medical Biometry and Statistics, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Centre, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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Leaf DE, Gordon AC, Lawler PR. Adverse Effects of Tocilizumab Versus Baricitinib in Severe COVID-19. Crit Care Med 2023; 51:e184-e185. [PMID: 37589523 DOI: 10.1097/ccm.0000000000005933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- David E Leaf
- Division of Renal Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Anthony C Gordon
- Division of Anaesthetics, Pain Medicine and Intensive Care, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick R Lawler
- Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
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37
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Gomez F, Mehra A, Ensrud E, Diedrich D, Laudanski K. COVID-19: a modern trigger for Guillain-Barre syndrome, myasthenia gravis, and small fiber neuropathy. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1198327. [PMID: 37712090 PMCID: PMC10498773 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1198327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 infection has had a profound impact on society. During the initial phase of the pandemic, there were several suggestions that COVID-19 may lead to acute and protracted neurologic sequelae. For example, peripheral neuropathies exhibited distinctive features as compared to those observed in critical care illness. The peripheral nervous system, lacking the protection afforded by the blood-brain barrier, has been a particular site of sequelae and complications subsequent to COVID-19 infection, including Guillain-Barre syndrome, myasthenia gravis, and small fiber neuropathy. We will discuss these disorders in terms of their clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment as well as the pathophysiology in relation to COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Gomez
- Department of Neurology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Ashir Mehra
- Department of Neurology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Erik Ensrud
- Department of Neurology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Daniel Diedrich
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Krzysztof Laudanski
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
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Burger BJ, Epps SM, Cardenas VM, Jagana R, Meena NK, Atchley WT. Tocilizumab Is Associated with Increased Risk of Fungal Infections among Critically Ill Patients with COVID-19 and Acute Renal Failure: An Observational Cohort Study. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1752. [PMID: 37629609 PMCID: PMC10455962 DOI: 10.3390/life13081752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
RESEARCH QUESTION Does treatment with tocilizumab increase the risk of a fungal infection in critically ill patients with coronavirus-19? BACKGROUND Numerous therapies have been evaluated as possible treatments for coronavirus-2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2. Tocilizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody directed against the interleukin-6 receptor that has found a role as a therapy for patients with severe coronavirus-19 pneumonia. The immunomodulatory effects of tocilizumab may have the unintended consequence of predisposing recipients to secondary infections. We sought to assess the risk of invasive fungal disease and the therapeutic impact of tocilizumab on the hospital length of stay, duration of mechanical ventilation, and intensive-care-unit length of stay in critically ill patients with severe coronavirus-19 pneumonia. METHODS Records of critically ill patients with coronavirus-2019 admitted from March to September 2020 at our institution were reviewed. The risk for fungal infections, intensive-care-unit length of stay, hospital length of stay, and duration of mechanical ventilation in those that received tocilizumab in addition to standard coronavirus-2019 treatments was assessed. RESULTS Fifty-six critically ill patients treated with dexamethasone and remdesivir for coronavirus-2019 were included, of which 16 patients also received tocilizumab. The majority of the cohort was African American, Asian, or of other ethnic minorities (53.6%). Invasive fungal infections occurred in 10.7% of all patients, and infection rates were significantly higher in the tocilizumab group than in the control group (31.2% vs. 2.5%, risk difference [RD] = 28.8%, p < 0.01). The increased risk in the tocilizumab group was strongly associated with renal replacement therapy. There was a dose-response relationship between the risk of fungal infection and number of tocilizumab doses received, with 2.5% of infections occurring with zero doses, 20% with a single dose (RD = 17.5%), and 50% with two doses (RD = 47.5%) (trend test p < 0.001). In addition, ICU LOS (23.4 days vs. 9.0 days, p < 0.01), the duration of mechanical ventilation (18.9 vs. 3.5 days, p = 0.01), and hospital length of stay (LOS) (29.1 vs. 15.5, p < 0.01) were increased in patients that received tocilizumab. CONCLUSIONS Repurposed immunomodulator therapies, such as tocilizumab, are now recommended treatments for severe coronavirus-2019 pneumonia, but safety concerns remain. In this early pandemic cohort, the addition of tocilizumab to dexamethasone was associated with an increased risk of fungal infection in those that were critically ill and received renal replacement therapy. Tocilizumab use was also associated with increased ICU and hospital LOSs and duration of mechanical ventilation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barrett J. Burger
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA; (S.M.E.); (N.K.M.)
| | - Sarenthia M. Epps
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA; (S.M.E.); (N.K.M.)
| | - Victor M. Cardenas
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Rajani Jagana
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA; (S.M.E.); (N.K.M.)
| | - Nikhil K. Meena
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA; (S.M.E.); (N.K.M.)
| | - William T. Atchley
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA; (S.M.E.); (N.K.M.)
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Wang B, Li D, Fiselier A, Kovalchuk I, Kovalchuk O. High-CBD cannabis extracts inhibit the expression of proinflammatory factors via miRNA-mediated silencing in human small intestinal epithelial cells. Heliyon 2023; 9:e18817. [PMID: 37664748 PMCID: PMC10468390 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The incidence of chronic inflammatory disorders and autoimmune diseases is rapidly growing. To date, the COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has killed over 6,209,000 people globally, while no drug has been proven effective for the disease. Screening natural anti-inflammatory compounds for clinical application has drawn much attention. In this study, we showed that high-CBD cannabis extracts #1, #5, #7, #169, and #317 suppressed the levels of expression of proinflammatory cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) and increased the expression of the anti-inflammatory suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) in human small intestinal epithelial cells (HSIEC) in TNFα/IFNγ-triggered inflammation. We revealed that these extracts, with the exception of extract #169, also profoundly attenuated induction of proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6) and/or IL-8 proteins through miR-760- and miR-302c-3p-mediated silencing. The prevalent components in extracts #1 and #7 influenced the levels of IL-8 both individually as well as in combination with each other. However, the high-dose cannabis extracts displayed an inhibitory effect in the growth of HSIEC cells. These results show that our high-CBD cannabis extracts decrease the levels of proinflammatory molecules COX2, IL-6, and IL-8 via transcriptional suppression or miRNA-mediated silencing, highlighting their potential against COVID-19-associated cytokine storm syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1K 3M4, Canada
- Pathway Rx Inc., Calgary, Alberta, T3H 4Z2, Canada
| | - Dongping Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1K 3M4, Canada
- Pathway Rx Inc., Calgary, Alberta, T3H 4Z2, Canada
| | - Anna Fiselier
- Pathway Rx Inc., Calgary, Alberta, T3H 4Z2, Canada
- Swysh Inc., Calgary, Alberta, T3H 4Z2, Canada
| | - Igor Kovalchuk
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1K 3M4, Canada
- Pathway Rx Inc., Calgary, Alberta, T3H 4Z2, Canada
- Swysh Inc., Calgary, Alberta, T3H 4Z2, Canada
| | - Olga Kovalchuk
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1K 3M4, Canada
- Pathway Rx Inc., Calgary, Alberta, T3H 4Z2, Canada
- Swysh Inc., Calgary, Alberta, T3H 4Z2, Canada
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Mistrulli R, Ferrera A, Muthukkattil ML, Volpe M, Barbato E, Battistoni A. SARS-CoV-2 Related Myocarditis: What We Know So Far. J Clin Med 2023; 12:4700. [PMID: 37510815 PMCID: PMC10380706 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12144700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
A minority of patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) develop cardiovascular complications, such as acute cardiac lesions with elevated troponins, de novo systolic heart failure, pericardial effusion and, rarely, acute myocarditis. The prevalence of COVID-19-related myocarditis ranges from 10 to 105 cases per 100,000 COVID-19-infected individuals, with a male predominance (58%) and a median age of 50 years. The etiopathogenetic mechanism is currently unclear, but may involve direct virus-mediated damage or an exaggerated immune response to the virus. Mortality is high, as fulminant myocarditis (FM) develops very often in the form of cardiogenic shock and ventricular arrhythmias. Hence, medical therapy with ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers may not always be sufficient, in which case inotropic and immunosuppressive drugs, most commonly corticosteroids, may be necessary. In this review we analyze the current data on COVID-19 myocarditis, management strategies and therapy, with a brief description of COVID-19 vaccine-associated myocarditis to help clinicians dealing with this peculiar form of myocarditis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaella Mistrulli
- Clinical and Molecular Medicine Department, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy; (A.F.); (M.V.); (E.B.); (A.B.)
| | - Armando Ferrera
- Clinical and Molecular Medicine Department, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy; (A.F.); (M.V.); (E.B.); (A.B.)
| | - Melwyn Luis Muthukkattil
- Clinical and Molecular Medicine Department, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy; (A.F.); (M.V.); (E.B.); (A.B.)
| | - Massimo Volpe
- Clinical and Molecular Medicine Department, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy; (A.F.); (M.V.); (E.B.); (A.B.)
- IRCCS San Raffaele, 00163 Roma, Italy
| | - Emanuele Barbato
- Clinical and Molecular Medicine Department, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy; (A.F.); (M.V.); (E.B.); (A.B.)
| | - Allegra Battistoni
- Clinical and Molecular Medicine Department, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy; (A.F.); (M.V.); (E.B.); (A.B.)
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Tsai JJ, Liu LT, Chen CH, Chen LJ, Wang SI, Wei JCC. COVID-19 outcomes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis with biologic or targeted synthetic DMARDs. RMD Open 2023; 9:e003038. [PMID: 37479495 PMCID: PMC10364175 DOI: 10.1136/rmdopen-2023-003038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We aimed to investigate the role of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARD) exposure in COVID-19 outcomes. METHODS Our study retrieved data from the US Collaborative Network in TriNetX between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2022. We investigated b/tsDMARD use for RA: interleukin 6 inhibitor (IL-6i), Janus-associated kinase inhibitors (JAKi) or tumour necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors (TNFi, reference group). The outcomes of COVID-19 were the incidence of infection and adverse outcomes (hospitalisation, critical care services, mechanical ventilation and mortality). The HR and 95% CI of the outcomes were calculated between propensity score-matched (PSM) patients with different b/tsDMARDs. RESULTS After PSM, 2676 JAKi vs 2676 TNFi users and 967 IL-6i vs 967 TNFi users were identified. As for COVID-19 incidence, JAKi users did not reach statistical significance (HR: 1.058, 95% CI: 0.895 to 1.250) than TNFi users. RA with JAKi users had a significant risk for hospitalisation (HR: 1.194, 95% CI: 1.003 to 1.423), mortality (HR: 1.440, 95% CI: 1.049 to 1.976) and composite adverse outcomes (HR: 1.242, 95% CI: 1.051 to 1.468) compared with TNFi users. Mortality risk tended to be significantly higher in the JAKi group without COVID-19 vaccination (HR: 1.511, 95% CI: 1.077 to 2.121). IL-6i users compared with TNFi users did not have the above findings. CONCLUSIONS RA with JAKi users had a significant risk for hospitalisation, mortality or composite adverse outcomes, especially higher mortality among those without COVID-19 vaccination. COVID-19 vaccination should be encouraged in these target cohorts. When using JAKi for patients with RA, clinicians should be vigilant about these adverse outcomes to prevent their occurrence or detect them early for early intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jih-Jin Tsai
- Tropical Medicine Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Li-Teh Liu
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Technology, Chung Hwa University of Medical Technology, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Hong Chen
- National Mosquito-Borne Diseases Control Research Center, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan
| | - Liang-Jen Chen
- Department of Family Medicine, Pingtung Christian Hospital, Pingtung, Taiwan
| | - Shiow-Ing Wang
- Center for Health Data Science, Department of Medical Research, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
- Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - James Cheng-Chung Wei
- Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Allergy Immunology & Rheumatology, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Nursing, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Integrated Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
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Green A, Rachoin JS, Schorr C, Dellinger P, Casey JD, Park I, Gupta S, Baron RM, Shaefi S, Hunter K, Leaf DE. Timing of invasive mechanical ventilation and death in critically ill adults with COVID-19: A multicenter cohort study. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285748. [PMID: 37379286 PMCID: PMC10306211 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate if the timing of initiation of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) for critically ill patients with COVID-19 is associated with mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS The data for this study were derived from a multicenter cohort study of critically ill adults with COVID-19 admitted to ICUs at 68 hospitals across the US from March 1 to July 1, 2020. We examined the association between early (ICU days 1-2) versus late (ICU days 3-7) initiation of IMV and time-to-death. Patients were followed until the first of hospital discharge, death, or 90 days. We adjusted for confounding using a multivariable Cox model. RESULTS Among the 1879 patients included in this analysis (1199 male [63.8%]; median age, 63 [IQR, 53-72] years), 1526 (81.2%) initiated IMV early and 353 (18.8%) initiated IMV late. A total of 644 of the 1526 patients (42.2%) in the early IMV group died, and 180 of the 353 (51.0%) in the late IMV group died (adjusted HR 0.77 [95% CI, 0.65-0.93]). CONCLUSIONS In critically ill adults with respiratory failure from COVID-19, early compared to late initiation of IMV is associated with reduced mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Green
- Cooper University Health Care and Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ, United States of America
| | - Jean-Sebastien Rachoin
- Cooper University Health Care and Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ, United States of America
| | - Christa Schorr
- Cooper University Health Care and Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ, United States of America
| | - Phil Dellinger
- Cooper University Health Care and Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ, United States of America
| | - Jonathan D. Casey
- Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States of America
| | - Isabel Park
- Division of Renal Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Shruti Gupta
- Division of Renal Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Rebecca M. Baron
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Shahzad Shaefi
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Krystal Hunter
- Cooper University Health Care and Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ, United States of America
| | - David E. Leaf
- Division of Renal Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
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Dechtman ID, Ankory R, Sokolinsky K, Krasner E, Weiss L, Gal Y. Clinically Evaluated COVID-19 Drugs with Therapeutic Potential for Biological Warfare Agents. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1577. [PMID: 37375079 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11061577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak resulted in hundreds of millions of coronavirus cases, as well as millions of deaths worldwide. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the disease resulting from exposure to this pathogen, is characterized, among other features, by a pulmonary pathology, which can progress to "cytokine storm", acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), respiratory failure and death. Vaccines are the unsurpassed strategy for prevention and protection against the SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, there is still an extremely high number of severely ill people from at-risk populations. This may be attributed to waning immune response, variant-induced breakthrough infections, unvaccinated population, etc. It is therefore of high importance to utilize pharmacological-based treatments, despite the progression of the global vaccination campaign. Until the approval of Paxlovid, an efficient and highly selective anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug, and the broad-spectrum antiviral agent Lagevrio, many pharmacological-based countermeasures were, and still are, being evaluated in clinical trials. Some of these are host-directed therapies (HDTs), which modulate the endogenic response against the virus, and therefore may confer efficient protection against a wide array of pathogens. These could potentially include Biological Warfare Agents (BWAs), exposure to which may lead to mass casualties due to disease severity and a possible lack of efficient treatment. In this review, we assessed the recent literature on drugs under advanced clinical evaluation for COVID-19 with broad spectrum activity, including antiviral agents and HDTs, which may be relevant for future coping with BWAs, as well as with other agents, in particular respiratory infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ido-David Dechtman
- Pulmonology Department, Edith Wolfson Medical Center, 62 Halochamim Street, Holon 5822012, Israel
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Ran Ankory
- The Israel Defense Force Medical Corps, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Military Post 02149, Israel
| | - Keren Sokolinsky
- Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense Division, Ministry of Defense, HaKirya, Tel Aviv 61909, Israel
| | - Esther Krasner
- Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense Division, Ministry of Defense, HaKirya, Tel Aviv 61909, Israel
| | - Libby Weiss
- Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense Division, Ministry of Defense, HaKirya, Tel Aviv 61909, Israel
| | - Yoav Gal
- Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense Division, Ministry of Defense, HaKirya, Tel Aviv 61909, Israel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona 74100, Israel
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44
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Reiff DD, Cron RQ. Cytokine Storm Syndrome Triggered by Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Pediatric Patients. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 10:1052. [PMID: 37371283 DOI: 10.3390/children10061052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Cytokine storm syndrome (CSS) is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition caused by severe systemic inflammation, immune activation, and a positive feedback loop of cytokine release. Typically triggered by systemic infection, malignancy, monogenic or rheumatic disease, similar patterns of hyper-inflammation have been seen in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and in patients treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Typical treatments used for the prevention and treatment of CPB/ECMO-induced hyper-inflammation have not been shown to be substantially effective. Two patients suffering from ECMO-related CSS were identified by their severe hyper-inflammatory profile and life-threatening sequelae of vasodilatory shock and respiratory failure. Anakinra, an interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, was employed as specific cytokine-directed therapy for the treatment of CSS in these two patients to good effect, with significant improvement in hyper-inflammation and cardiorespiratory status. The use of cytokine-directed therapies in CPB/ECMO-related CSS has great potential to improve the treatment and outcomes of this serious condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel D Reiff
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Rheumatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Randy Q Cron
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Rheumatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
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45
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Lavrentieva A, Kaimakamis E, Voutsas V, Bitzani M. An observational study on factors associated with ICU mortality in Covid-19 patients and critical review of the literature. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7804. [PMID: 37179397 PMCID: PMC10182846 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34613-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The novel pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has been associated with increased burden on healthcare system. Recognizing the variables that independently predict death in COVID-19 is of great importance. The study was carried out prospectively in a single ICU in northern Greece. It was based on the collection of data during clinical practice in 375 adult patients who were tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 between April 2020 and February 2022. All patients were intubated due to acute respiratory insufficiency and received Invasive Mechanical Ventilation. The primary outcome was ICU mortality. Secondary outcomes were 28-day mortality and independent predictors of mortality at 28 days and during ICU hospitalization. For continuous variables with normal distribution, t-test was used for means comparison between two groups and one-way ANOVA for multiple comparisons. When the distribution was not normal, comparisons were performed using the Mann-Whitney test. Comparisons between discrete variables were made using the x2 test, whereas the binary logistic regression was employed for the definition of factors affecting survival inside the ICU and after 28 days. Of the total number of patients intubated due to COVID-19 during the study period, 239 (63.7%) were male. Overall, the ICU survival was 49.6%, whereas the 28-day survival reached 46.9%. The survival rates inside the ICU for the four main viral variants were 54.9%, 50.3%, 39.7% and 50% for the Alpha, Beta, Delta and Omicron variants, respectively. Logistic regressions for outcome revealed that the following parameters were independently associated with ICU survival: wave, SOFA @day1, Remdesivir use, AKI, Sepsis, Enteral Insufficiency, Duration of ICU stay and WBC. Similarly, the parameters affecting the 28-days survival were: duration of stay in ICU, SOFA @day1, WBC, Wave, AKI and Enteral Insufficiency. In this observational cohort study of critically ill COVID-19 patients we report an association between mortality and the wave sequence, SOFA score on admission, the use of Remdesivir, presence of AKI, presence of gastrointestinal failure, sepsis and WBC levels. Strengths of this study are the large number of critically ill COVID-19 patients included, and the comparison of the adjusted mortality rates between pandemic waves within a two year-study period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athina Lavrentieva
- 1st Intensive Care Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, 57010, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Evangelos Kaimakamis
- 1st Intensive Care Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, 57010, Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - Vassileios Voutsas
- 1st Intensive Care Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, 57010, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Militsa Bitzani
- 1st Intensive Care Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, 57010, Thessaloniki, Greece
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Bhatia A, Preiss AJ, Xiao X, Brannock MD, Alexander GC, Chew RF, Fitzgerald M, Hill E, Kelly EP, Mehta HB, Madlock-Brown C, Wilkins KJ, Chute CG, Haendel M, Moffitt R, Pfaff ER. Effect of Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir (Paxlovid) on Hospitalization among Adults with COVID-19: an EHR-based Target Trial Emulation from N3C. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.05.03.23289084. [PMID: 37205340 PMCID: PMC10187454 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.03.23289084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
This study leverages electronic health record data in the National COVID Cohort Collaborative's (N3C) repository to investigate disparities in Paxlovid treatment and to emulate a target trial assessing its effectiveness in reducing COVID-19 hospitalization rates. From an eligible population of 632,822 COVID-19 patients seen at 33 clinical sites across the United States between December 23, 2021 and December 31, 2022, patients were matched across observed treatment groups, yielding an analytical sample of 410,642 patients. We estimate a 65% reduced odds of hospitalization among Paxlovid-treated patients within a 28-day follow-up period, and this effect did not vary by patient vaccination status. Notably, we observe disparities in Paxlovid treatment, with lower rates among Black and Hispanic or Latino patients, and within socially vulnerable communities. Ours is the largest study of Paxlovid's real-world effectiveness to date, and our primary findings are consistent with previous randomized control trials and real-world studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Bhatia
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Xuya Xiao
- School of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - G Caleb Alexander
- School of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Elaine Hill
- University of Rochester, Department of Public Health Sciences and Department of Economics, Rochester, NY, USA
| | | | - Hemalkumar B Mehta
- School of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Kenneth J Wilkins
- National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases, Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine & Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Christopher G Chute
- School of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Melissa Haendel
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | | | - Emily R Pfaff
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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Althemery AU, Albadi MA, Allaf AF, Almoqren SS, Alnajjar AH, Alkholifi FK. Comparing oxygen demand in critical covid-19 patients using single versus double doses of tocilizumab. Saudi Med J 2023; 44:513-517. [PMID: 37182918 PMCID: PMC10187733 DOI: 10.15537/smj.2023.44.5.20220755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To compare the outcomes of single versus double doses of tocilizumab in patients with severe COVID-19, especially on different types of oxygenation requirements. METHODS This cross-sectional study was carried out from January 2020 to March 2020. Patients diagnosed with COVID-19, who received at least one dose of tocilizumab, were included. The dependent variable was tocilizumab dose (single versus double). The primary outcome variable was oxygen demand on the first and last day of hospitalization. A series of comparisons between patients administered one dose of tocilizumab versus 2 doses were conducted. RESULTS Herein, 80 patients with severe COVID-19 infection were included, of whom 68.8% received one dose of tocilizumab, while 31.3% received a double dose. Two-thirds of the patients were male, with an overall average age of 58 years. In patients receiving 2 doses, oxygen demand tended to worsen by the seventh day, while in those who received one dose. The group that received 2 doses had a longer length of hospital stay. CONCLUSION This study could not capture the additional value of the second dose for different health outcomes. However, the results can inform clinician from experience when facing uncertainty due to new virus or variant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah U. Althemery
- From the Department of Clinical Pharmacy (Abdullah, Fisal), College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj; from the Internal Medicine Department (Marzoog, Ahmad) and Pharmacy Department (Amal), Security Forces Hospital; and from Pharmaceutical Care Services (Shekhah), King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
| | - Marzoog A. Albadi
- From the Department of Clinical Pharmacy (Abdullah, Fisal), College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj; from the Internal Medicine Department (Marzoog, Ahmad) and Pharmacy Department (Amal), Security Forces Hospital; and from Pharmaceutical Care Services (Shekhah), King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
| | - Ahmad F. Allaf
- From the Department of Clinical Pharmacy (Abdullah, Fisal), College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj; from the Internal Medicine Department (Marzoog, Ahmad) and Pharmacy Department (Amal), Security Forces Hospital; and from Pharmaceutical Care Services (Shekhah), King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
| | - Shekhah S. Almoqren
- From the Department of Clinical Pharmacy (Abdullah, Fisal), College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj; from the Internal Medicine Department (Marzoog, Ahmad) and Pharmacy Department (Amal), Security Forces Hospital; and from Pharmaceutical Care Services (Shekhah), King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
| | - Amal H. Alnajjar
- From the Department of Clinical Pharmacy (Abdullah, Fisal), College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj; from the Internal Medicine Department (Marzoog, Ahmad) and Pharmacy Department (Amal), Security Forces Hospital; and from Pharmaceutical Care Services (Shekhah), King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
| | - Faisal K. Alkholifi
- From the Department of Clinical Pharmacy (Abdullah, Fisal), College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj; from the Internal Medicine Department (Marzoog, Ahmad) and Pharmacy Department (Amal), Security Forces Hospital; and from Pharmaceutical Care Services (Shekhah), King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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48
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Davarci OO, Yang EY, Viguerie A, Yankeelov TE, Lorenzo G. Dynamic parameterization of a modified SEIRD model to analyze and forecast the dynamics of COVID-19 outbreaks in the United States. ENGINEERING WITH COMPUTERS 2023:1-25. [PMID: 37362241 PMCID: PMC10129322 DOI: 10.1007/s00366-023-01816-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
The rapid spread of the numerous outbreaks of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has fueled interest in mathematical models designed to understand and predict infectious disease spread, with the ultimate goal of contributing to the decision making of public health authorities. Here, we propose a computational pipeline that dynamically parameterizes a modified SEIRD (susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered-deceased) model using standard daily series of COVID-19 cases and deaths, along with isolated estimates of population-level seroprevalence. We test our pipeline in five heavily impacted states of the US (New York, California, Florida, Illinois, and Texas) between March and August 2020, considering two scenarios with different calibration time horizons to assess the update in model performance as new epidemiologic data become available. Our results show a median normalized root mean squared error (NRMSE) of 2.38% and 4.28% in calibrating cumulative cases and deaths in the first scenario, and 2.41% and 2.30% when new data are assimilated in the second scenario, respectively. Then, 2-week (4-week) forecasts of the calibrated model resulted in median NRMSE of cumulative cases and deaths of 5.85% and 4.68% (8.60% and 17.94%) in the first scenario, and 1.86% and 1.93% (2.21% and 1.45%) in the second. Additionally, we show that our method provides significantly more accurate predictions of cases and deaths than a constant parameterization in the second scenario (p < 0.05). Thus, we posit that our methodology is a promising approach to analyze the dynamics of infectious disease outbreaks, and that our forecasts could contribute to designing effective pandemic-arresting public health policies. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00366-023-01816-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orhun O. Davarci
- Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 201 E 24th St, Austin, TX 78712-1229 USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX USA
| | - Emily Y. Yang
- Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 201 E 24th St, Austin, TX 78712-1229 USA
| | | | - Thomas E. Yankeelov
- Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 201 E 24th St, Austin, TX 78712-1229 USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX USA
- Livestrong Cancer Institutes, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX USA
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX USA
- Department of Oncology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX USA
- Department of Imaging Physics, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX USA
| | - Guillermo Lorenzo
- Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 201 E 24th St, Austin, TX 78712-1229 USA
- Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
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49
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Akiyama S, Hamdeh S, Micic D, Sakuraba A. Response to: 'Correspondence on 'Prevalence and clinical outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with autoimmune diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis'' by Lee. Ann Rheum Dis 2023; 82:e84. [PMID: 33504478 DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2021-219918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shintaro Akiyama
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, The University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Shadi Hamdeh
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Motility, University of Kansas, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Dejan Micic
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, The University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Atsushi Sakuraba
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, The University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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50
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Yilmam OA, Leaf DE. Safety of Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir in Dialysis Patients with COVID-19: The End of the Beginning? Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2023; 18:427-429. [PMID: 37026748 PMCID: PMC10103203 DOI: 10.2215/cjn.0000000000000129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Osman A Yilmam
- Division of Renal Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
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