{"title":"The Frequency and Severity of COVID-19 in Patients Receiving Biological Agents and Risk Factors: Experience of an Allergy Clinic","authors":"Sadan Soyyigit, Ş. Beyaz, Zeynep Celebi Sozener","doi":"10.21911/aai.141","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Objective: The effect of biological agents used in severe allergic diseases on the risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the course of the disease still remains unclear. The aim of the study was to evaluate retrospectively the frequency and severity of COVID-19 to determine risk factors and to present real-life data in patients using biological agents.Materials and Methods: Patients who have used omalizumab or mepolizumab for at least six months were questioned retrospectively in terms of a history of COVID-19. Patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or serological IgG positivity, symptoms, lung involvement, the need for supplemental oxygen, hospital and intensive care admission, and mortality were queried. Results: Of the 71 patients (omalizumab/mepolizumab: 51/20) included in the study, the average age was 37.2 +/- 12.9, and the female/ male ratio was 46/25. Of the 11 patients (omalizumab/mepolizumab: 6/5) with SARS-CoV-2 positivity, two were hospitalized for pneumonia and needed oxygen. However, intensive care was not required and they survived. There was no significant difference between mepolizumab users who had COVID-19 and those who did not in terms of baseline and post-treatment 6th-month eosinophil values (p= 0.7, p= 0.59, respectively). It was established that eosinopenia developing after treatment did not increase the risk of COVID-19 in patients using mepolizumab [RR (95% Cl) 0.99 (0.97-1.02), p=0.88].Conclusion: According to our single center data, we found the risk of severe COVID-19 in patients using biological agents to be quite low. Especially, eosinopenia that developed after mepolizumab treatment did not constitute a risk factor for the severity of COVID-19.","PeriodicalId":42004,"journal":{"name":"Astim Allerji Immunoloji","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.3000,"publicationDate":"2023-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Astim Allerji Immunoloji","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.21911/aai.141","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"ALLERGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objective: The effect of biological agents used in severe allergic diseases on the risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the course of the disease still remains unclear. The aim of the study was to evaluate retrospectively the frequency and severity of COVID-19 to determine risk factors and to present real-life data in patients using biological agents.Materials and Methods: Patients who have used omalizumab or mepolizumab for at least six months were questioned retrospectively in terms of a history of COVID-19. Patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or serological IgG positivity, symptoms, lung involvement, the need for supplemental oxygen, hospital and intensive care admission, and mortality were queried. Results: Of the 71 patients (omalizumab/mepolizumab: 51/20) included in the study, the average age was 37.2 +/- 12.9, and the female/ male ratio was 46/25. Of the 11 patients (omalizumab/mepolizumab: 6/5) with SARS-CoV-2 positivity, two were hospitalized for pneumonia and needed oxygen. However, intensive care was not required and they survived. There was no significant difference between mepolizumab users who had COVID-19 and those who did not in terms of baseline and post-treatment 6th-month eosinophil values (p= 0.7, p= 0.59, respectively). It was established that eosinopenia developing after treatment did not increase the risk of COVID-19 in patients using mepolizumab [RR (95% Cl) 0.99 (0.97-1.02), p=0.88].Conclusion: According to our single center data, we found the risk of severe COVID-19 in patients using biological agents to be quite low. Especially, eosinopenia that developed after mepolizumab treatment did not constitute a risk factor for the severity of COVID-19.
期刊介绍:
Asthma Allergy Immunology has been published three times a year in April, August and December as the official and periodical journal of the Turkish National Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology since 2003. All articles published in the journal have been available online since 2003. A peer reviewed system is used in evaluation of the manuscripts submitted to Asthma Allergy Immunology. The official language of the journal is English. The aim of the journal is to present advances in the field of allergic diseases and clinical immunology to the readers. In accordance with this goal, manuscripts in the format of original research, review, case report, articles about clinical and practical applications and editorials, short report and letters to the editor about allergic diseases and clinical immunology are published in the journal. The target reader population of the Asthma Allergy Immunology includes specialists and residents of allergy and clinical immunology, pulmonology, internal medicine, pediatrics, dermatology and otolaryngology as well as physicians working in other fields of medicine interested in allergy and immunological diseases.