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Khawaja T, Kajova M, Levonen I, Pietilä JP, Välimaa H, Paajanen J, Pakkanen SH, Patjas A, Montonen R, Miettinen S, Virtanen J, Smura T, Sironen T, Fagerlund R, Ugurlu H, Iheozor-Ejiofor R, Saksela K, Vahlberg T, Ranki A, Vierikko A, Ihalainen J, Vapalahti O, Kantele A. Double-blinded, randomised, placebo-controlled trial of convalescent plasma for COVID-19: analyses by neutralising antibodies homologous to recipients' variants. Infect Dis (Lond) 2024; 56:423-433. [PMID: 38513074 DOI: 10.1080/23744235.2024.2329957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Convalescent plasma (CP) emerged as potential treatment for COVID-19 early in the pandemic. While efficacy in hospitalised patients has been lacklustre, CP may be beneficial at the first stages of disease. Despite multiple new variants emerging, no trials have involved analyses on variant-specific antibody titres of CP. METHODS We recruited hospitalised COVID-19 patients within 10 days of symptom onset and, employing a double-blinded approach, randomised them to receive 200 ml convalescent plasma with high (HCP) or low (LCP) neutralising antibody (NAb) titre against the ancestral strain (Wuhan-like variant) or placebo in 1:1:1 ratio. Primary endpoints comprised intubation, corticosteroids for symptom aggravation, and safety assessed as serious adverse events. For a preplanned ad hoc analysis, the patients were regrouped by infused CP's NAb titers to variants infecting the recipients i.e. by titres of homologous HCP (hHCP) or LCP (hLCP). RESULTS Of the 57 patients, 18 received HCP, 19 LCP and 20 placebo, all groups smaller than planned. No significant differences were found for primary endpoints. In ad hoc analysis, hHCPrecipients needed significantly less respiratory support, and appeared to be given corticosteroids less frequently (1/14; 7.1%) than those receiving hLCP (9/23; 39.1%) or placebo (8/20; 40%), (p = 0.077). DISCUSSION Our double-blinded, placebo-controlled CP therapy trial remained underpowered and does not allow any firm conclusions for early-stage hospitalised COVID-19 patients. Interestingly, however, regrouping by homologous - recipients' variant-specific - CP titres suggested benefits for hHCP. We encourage similar re-analysis of ongoing/previous larger CP studies. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinTrials.gov identifier: NCT0473040.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Khawaja
- Meilahti Vaccine Research Center, MeVac, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- FIMAR, Multidisciplinary Center of Excellence in Antimicrobial Resistance Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - M Kajova
- Meilahti Vaccine Research Center, MeVac, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- FIMAR, Multidisciplinary Center of Excellence in Antimicrobial Resistance Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - I Levonen
- Meilahti Vaccine Research Center, MeVac, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - J P Pietilä
- Meilahti Vaccine Research Center, MeVac, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- FIMAR, Multidisciplinary Center of Excellence in Antimicrobial Resistance Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - H Välimaa
- Meilahti Vaccine Research Center, MeVac, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - J Paajanen
- Meilahti Vaccine Research Center, MeVac, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Heart and Lung Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - S H Pakkanen
- Meilahti Vaccine Research Center, MeVac, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- FIMAR, Multidisciplinary Center of Excellence in Antimicrobial Resistance Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - A Patjas
- Meilahti Vaccine Research Center, MeVac, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- FIMAR, Multidisciplinary Center of Excellence in Antimicrobial Resistance Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - R Montonen
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - S Miettinen
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - J Virtanen
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - T Smura
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - T Sironen
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - R Fagerlund
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - H Ugurlu
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - R Iheozor-Ejiofor
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - K Saksela
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- HUS Diagnostic Centre, HUSLAB, Clinical Microbiology, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - T Vahlberg
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - A Ranki
- Department of Dermatology, Allergology and Venereology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - A Vierikko
- Finnish Red Cross Blood Service, Helsinki, Finland
| | - J Ihalainen
- Finnish Red Cross Blood Service, Helsinki, Finland
| | - O Vapalahti
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- HUS Diagnostic Centre, HUSLAB, Clinical Microbiology, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - A Kantele
- Meilahti Vaccine Research Center, MeVac, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- FIMAR, Multidisciplinary Center of Excellence in Antimicrobial Resistance Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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