477. Implementing a Follow-up Call Program for Ambulatory patients with COVID-19 in a Tertiary Center in Mexico City

Background

The Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán is a teaching hospital which was converted into a Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) designated hospital on mid-March 2020. In Mexico City, the COVID-19 peak started in mid-April 2020. A considerable proportion of those diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection were treated by ambulatory care. We aimed to describe the clinical characteristics at diagnosis of ambulatory patients diagnosed with COVID-19, their willingness to donate plasma and their clinical outcomes at one month of the follow-up call program implementation.

Methods

A call strategy follow-up program (FUP) was established on April 19, 2020. All ambulatory patients received at least 3 calls every 48–72 hours, followed by 2 weekly calls. A team of voluntary medical students, general practitioners, fellows, and medical specialists was assembled for this purpose. Signs of alarm (fever >72 hours, shortness of breath, respiratory insufficiency) and other clinical signs were collected on every call. Willingness to donate plasma and possibility of a correct home isolation were also addressed.

Results

From April 19 to May 18, 2020, a total of 360 patients tested positive for SARS-CoV2, of whom 350 were followed. Their median age was 44 years (33–51), and 55% were female. 145 (41%) had completed all FUP calls and 194 (55%) referred to be asymptomatic in their last call. We identified 8 patients with signs of alarm during the calls, and 2 of them required hospitalization. During the FUP, 66% referred fatigue that limited their activities, 56% anosmia or dysgeusia, 32% headache, and 22% diarrhea. 90% were capable to properly isolate in their homes. Willingness to donate plasma was assessed in 89 patients, of whom, 75 (84%) manifested their willingness to donate.

Conclusion

Ambulatory follow-up is feasible and effective to identify those in need of hospitalization. Remarkably, half of the ambulatory patients had no comorbidities and presented anosmia/dysgeusia as the most frequent symptoms during follow-up. Willingness to donate plasma was high in this cohort.

Disclosures

All Authors: No reported disclosures

The Transcription Factor SCX is a Potential Serum Biomarker of Fibrotic Diseases

Fibrosing diseases are causes of morbidity and mortality around the world, and they are characterized by excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation. The bHLH transcription factor scleraxis (SCX) regulates the synthesis of ECM proteins in heart fibrosis. SCX expression was evaluated in lung fibroblasts and tissue derived from fibrotic disease patients and healthy controls. We also measured SCX in sera from 57 healthy controls, and 56 Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), 40 Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis (HP), and 100 Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) patients. We report high SCX expression in fibroblasts and tissue from IPF patients versus controls. High SCX-serum levels were observed in IPF (0.663 ± 0.559 ng/mL, p < 0.01) and SSc (0.611 ± 0.296 ng/mL, p < 0.001), versus controls (0.351 ± 0.207 ng/mL) and HP (0.323 ± 0.323 ng/mL). Serum levels of the SCX heterodimerization partner, TCF3, did not associate with fibrotic illness. IPF patients with severely affected respiratory capacities and late-stage SSc patients presenting anti-topoisomerase I antibodies and interstitial lung disease showed the highest SCX-serum levels. SCX gain-of-function induced the expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA/ACTA2) in fibroblasts when co-overexpressed with TCF3. As late and severe stages of the fibrotic processes correlated with high circulating SCX, we postulate it as a candidate biomarker of fibrosis and a potential therapeutic target.

Myocardial fibrosis detected by magnetic resonance imaging, elevated U-CRP and higher mRSS are predictors of cardiovascular complications in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients

INTRODUCTION

In previous studies we showed that prevalence of myocardial fibrosis as assessed by late enhancement on cardiac MRI in SSc patients is 45% and is associated to diffuse disease (dcSSc) and lower left ventricle ejection fraction; microvascular damage defined as decreased perfusion on cardiac MRI after adenosine infusion, was also very frequent (79%). Our aim was to identify baseline characteristics associated to the development of cardiovascular outcomes (heart failure, coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, vasculopathy, elevated systolic pulmonary artery pressure and death) in SSc patients with previously documented myocardial fibrosis and microvascular damage.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We included 62 SSc patients who participated in the study of prevalence of myocardial fibrosis (2008-2010) and in our local SSc cohort. We performed baseline clinical evaluation, cardiac MRI, coronary CT angiography, transthoracic echocardiogram, and yearly clinical and cardiovascular evaluation that included Medsger's severity scale items, electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, chest X-ray or HRCT and spirometry; we registered presence and severity of internal organ involvement and cardiovascular outcomes. Ordinal variables were analyzed using Chi square test and Fisher test when appropriate, numeric variables were compared using Student's t-test or Mann Whitney U when appropriate, logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard ratio were used to perform multivariable analysis.

RESULTS

We obtained follow-up information from 62 patients (29 dcSSc, 33 lcSSc), mean follow-up was 43.5 months. Multivariable analysis showed that elevated basal ultrasensitive CRP was associated to mortality (p = 0.004, OR: 11.9, 95% CI 2.1-65.7) and recurrent digital tip ischemic ulcers (p = 0.001, OR 26.8, 95% CI 3,9-181.3) on follow-up. Myocardial fibrosis, particularly in the middle segments (p = 0.01, OR: 11.49, 95% CI 1.6-83), and older age (p = 0.02, OR: 1.11, 95% CI 1.01-1.22) were associated to heart failure on follow-up. Higher maximum mRSS was associated to coronary artery disease (p = 0.02, OR: 1.2, 95% CI 1.02-1.38), while insertion point fibrosis (p = 0.001, OR: 12.5 95% CI 2.7-56.6) was associated to recurrent digital tip ischemic ulcers.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that myocardial fibrosis, elevated ultrasensitive CRP, and higher maximum mRSS are independent predictors of cardiovascular outcomes in SSc patients. Future studies should focus on early preventive and therapeutic strategies for this group of patients.