Autoimmune complications of COVID-19 and potential consequences for long-lasting disease syndromes

COVID-19 Infection and Vaccination Effects on Breast Implant Illness: A Case Report

Breast implant illness (BII) is a term used to describe a range of symptoms associated with silicone breast implants. This condition suggests that silicone may trigger symptoms in individuals who are immunologically predisposed, and the spectrum of symptoms may be linked to autonomic dysregulation in these patients. We present the case of a female patient in her mid-40s with a history of autoimmune thyroiditis who had not required prior therapy. She underwent breast augmentation and subsequently developed gradual difficulties. After recovering from a COVID-19 infection, her nonspecific symptoms, consistent with BII, worsened. These symptoms included chronic fatigue, hair loss, dry skin, petechiae, low-grade fever, and frequent urination. Additionally, she developed symptoms associated with long COVID. A subsequent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination further exacerbated her symptoms and overall condition. Due to the broad spectrum of nonspecific symptoms, the patient underwent numerous screenings over an 18-month period, which were inconclusive. We hypothesize that the vaccination and previous infection had a synergistic effect on her ongoing BII symptoms, contributing to the worsening of her condition. An isolated right-sided seroma with left-sided lymphadenopathy appeared to be a side effect of the vaccine. Additionally, the patient developed a newly diagnosed allergy to polyethylene glycol and other allergic manifestations, such as chronic urticaria, which are consistent with autonomic nervous system dysregulation and long COVID. These symptoms resolved within three weeks of explantation with en bloc capsulectomy. It is noteworthy that the patient was unaware of BII until an MRI revealed a suspected intracapsular implant rupture on the right side, which led to the decision to remove the implants.

Long COVID Is Not a Functional Neurologic Disorder

Long COVID is a common sequela of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Data from numerous scientific studies indicate that long COVID involves a complex interaction between pathophysiological processes. Long COVID may involve the development of new diagnosable health conditions and exacerbation of pre-existing health conditions. However, despite this rapidly accumulating body of evidence regarding the pathobiology of long COVID, psychogenic and functional interpretations of the illness presentation continue to be endorsed by some healthcare professionals, creating confusion and inappropriate diagnostic and therapeutic pathways for people living with long COVID. The purpose of this perspective is to present a clinical and scientific rationale for why long COVID should not be considered as a functional neurologic disorder. It will begin by discussing the parallel historical development of pathobiological and psychosomatic/sociogenic diagnostic constructs arising from a common root in neurasthenia, which has resulted in the collective understandings of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and functional neurologic disorder (FND), respectively. We will also review the case definition criteria for FND and the distinguishing clinical and neuroimaging findings in FND vs. long COVID. We conclude that considering long COVID as FND is inappropriate based on differentiating pathophysiologic mechanisms and distinguishing clinical findings.

Increased Rheumatoid Factor production in patients with severe COVID-19

BACKGROUND

Searching for Rheumatoid Factors (RF) in patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has rarely been described.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the association between RF isotypes (IgM, IgA, and IgG) and different clinical presentations of COVID-19 in a series of Tunisian patients.

STUDY DESIGN

Eighty-two COVID-19 patients were enrolled in this study. Symptomatic cases were recruited from the Department of COVID-19 and the intensive care unit (ICU) of the University Hospital of Mahdia, Tunisia, from January 2021 to March 2021. Different RF isotypes were assessed using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTS

Forty-one patients (50%) had RF of any isotype. Thirty-two patients (39%) were tested positive for RF-IgM. Symptomatic forms of the disease were associated with RF-IgM positivity (p = 0.005). The mean concentration of RF-IgM was higher in the severe form than in the moderate and asymptomatic forms (p = 0.006).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that the production of RF-IgM isotype is increased in patients with severe COVID-19.

COVID-19 impact in Crohn’s disease patients submitted to autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

BACKGROUND

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is the virus responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a disease that has been blamed for inducing or exacerbating symptoms in patients with autoimmune diseases. Crohn's disease (CD) is an inflammatory bowel disease that affects genetically susceptible patients who develop an abnormal mucosal immune response to the intestinal microbiota. Patients who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are considered at risk for COVID-19.

AIM

To describe for the first time the impact of COVID-19 in CD patients who had undergone autologous, non-myeloablative HSCT.

METHODS

In this descriptive study a series of 19 patients were diagnosed with positive COVID-19. For two patients there were reports of the occurrence of two infectious episodes. Parameters related to HSCT, such as time elapsed since the procedure, vaccination status, CD status before and after infection, and clinical manifestations resulting from COVID-19, were evaluated.

RESULTS

Among the patients with COVID-19, three, who underwent Auto HSCT less than six months ago, relapsed and one, in addition to the CD symptoms, started to present thyroid impairment with positive anti-TPO. Only one of the patients required hospitalization for five days to treat COVID-19 and remained in CD clinical remission. Nine patients reported late symptoms that may be related to COVID-19. There were no deaths, and a statistical evaluation of the series of COVID-19 patients compared to those who did not present any infectious episode did not identify significant differences regarding the analyzed parameters.

CONCLUSION

Despite the change in CD status in three patients and the presence of nine patients with late symptoms, we can conclude that there was no significant adverse impact concerning COVID-19 in the evaluated patients who underwent HSCT to treat CD.

The Role of Heparin in Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and Other Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19

The therapeutic management and short-term consequences of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are well known. However, COVID-19 post-acute sequelae are less known and represent a public health problem worldwide. Patients with COVID-19 who present post-acute sequelae may display immune dysregulation, a procoagulant state, and persistent microvascular endotheliopathy that could trigger microvascular thrombosis. These elements have also been implicated in the physiopathology of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, a frequent sequela in post-COVID-19 patients. These mechanisms, directly associated with post-acute sequelae, might determine the thrombotic consequences of COVID-19 and the need for early anticoagulation therapy. In this context, heparin has several potential benefits, including immunomodulatory, anticoagulant, antiviral, pro-endothelial, and vascular effects, that could be helpful in the treatment of COVID-19 post-acute sequelae. In this article, we review the evidence surrounding the post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 and the potential benefits of the use of heparin, with a special focus on the treatment of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.

Mid-Regional Proadrenomedullin in COVID-19-May It Act as a Predictor of Prolonged Cardiovascular Complications?

The rising prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic have both led to increased mortality rates, affecting public health and the global economy. Therefore, it is essential to find accessible, non-invasive prognostic markers capable of identifying patients at high risk. One encouraging avenue of exploration is the potential of mid-regional proadrenomedullin (MR-proADM) as a biomarker in various health conditions, especially in the context of CVD and COVID-19. MR-proADM presents the ability to predict mortality, heart failure, and adverse outcomes in CVD, offering promise for improved risk assessment and treatment strategies. On the other hand, an elevated MR-proADM level is associated with disease severity and cytokine storms in patients with COVID-19, making it a predictive indicator for intensive care unit admissions and mortality rates. Moreover, MR-proADM may have relevance in long COVID, aiding in the risk assessment, triage, and monitoring of individuals at increased risk of developing prolonged cardiac issues. Our review explores the potential of MR-proADM as a predictor of enduring cardiovascular complications following COVID-19 infection.

Hematological toxicities of immune checkpoint inhibitors and the impact of blood transfusion and its microbiome on therapeutic efficacy and recipient's safety and survival outcome:A systematic narrative appraisal of where we are now!

Classically, patients with solid and hematologic malignancies have been treated with a combination of chemotherapy with or without a holistic targeted strategy using approved conventional therapy. While the evidence-based use of Immunomodulatory drugs and Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), including those targeting the PD-1, PD-L1 and CTLA-4, have reshaped the treatment paradigm for many malignant tumors and significantly stretched the life expectancy of patients, as for any interventional therapy, the rise in ICI applications, was associated with the observation of more immune-related hematological adverse events. Many of these patients require transfusion support during their treatment in line with precision transfusion. It has been presumed that transfusion-related immunomodulation (TRIM) and the microbiome can pose immunosuppressive effects on the recipients. Looking to the past and beyond and translating available data into practice in the evolving role of pharmaceutical therapy to ICI-receiving patients, we performed a narrative review of the literature on the immune-related hematological adverse events of ICIs, immunosuppressive mechanisms linked to blood product transfusions, as well as the detrimental impact of transfusions and its related microbiome on the sustained efficacy of ICIs and the patients' survival outcomes. Recent reports are pointing to the negative impact of transfusion on ICI response. Studies have concluded that packed RBC [PRBC] transfusions lead to an inferior progression-free and overall survival in patients with advanced cancer receiving ICIs, even after adjustments for other prognostic variables. The attenuation of the effectiveness of immunotherapy likely results from the immunosuppressive effects of PRBC transfusions. It is, therefore, wise to look retrospectively and prospectively at the impact of transfusion on ICI effects and adopt, in the interim, a restrictive transfusion strategy, if applicable, for those patients.