Project description:BackgroundThe management of critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by a new human virus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is challenging. Recently, there have been several reports with inconsistent results after treatment with convalescent plasma (CP) on critically ill patients with COVID-19, which was produced with a neutralizing antibody titer and tested in a P3 or P4 laboratory. However, due to the limitation of the conditions on mass production of plasma, most producers hardly had the capability to isolate the neutralizing antibody. Here, we report the clinical courses of three critically ill patients with COVID-19 receiving CP treatments by total immunoglobulin G (IgG) titer collection.MethodsThree patients with COVID-19 in this study were laboratory confirmed to be positive for SARS-CoV-2, with radiographic and clinical features of pneumonia. CP was collected by total IgG titer of 160 (range, 200-225 mL), and patients were transfused between 20 and 30 days after disease onset at the critical illness stage as a trial in addition to standard care. The clinical courses of these patients, including laboratory results and pulmonary functional and image studies after receiving convalescent plasma infusions, were reviewed.ResultsNo therapeutic effect of CP was observed in any of the patients; instead, all three patients deteriorated and required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment. A potential cytokine storm 4 hours after infusion of CP in Patient 2 was observed. No more patients were put on the trial of CP transfusion.ConclusionsWe recommend extreme caution in using CP in critically ill patients more than 2 weeks after the onset of COVID-19 pneumonia.
Project description:There are no definitive therapies for patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Therefore, new therapeutic strategies are needed to improve clinical outcomes, particularly in patients with severe disease. This case series explores the safety and effectiveness of intravenous allogeneic cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs), formulated as CAP-1002, in critically ill patients with confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Adverse reactions to CAP-1002, clinical status on the World Health Organization (WHO) ordinal scale, and changes in pro-inflammatory biomarkers and leukocyte counts were analyzed. All patients (n = 6; age range 19-75 years, 1 female) required ventilatory support (invasive mechanical ventilation, n = 5) with PaO2/FiO2 ranging from 69 to 198. No adverse events related to CAP-1002 administration were observed. Four patients (67%) were weaned from respiratory support and discharged from the hospital. One patient remains mechanically ventilated as of April 28th, 2020; all survive. A contemporaneous control group of critically ill COVID-19 patients (n = 34) at our institution showed 18% overall mortality at a similar stage of hospitalization. Ferritin was elevated in all patients at baseline (range of all patients 605.43-2991.52 ng/ml) and decreased in 5/6 patients (range of all patients 252.89-1029.90 ng/ml). Absolute lymphocyte counts were low in 5/6 patients at baseline (range 0.26-0.82 × 103/µl) but had increased in three of these five patients at last follow-up (range 0.23-1.02 × 103/µl). In this series of six critically ill COVID-19 patients, intravenous infusion of CAP-1002 was well tolerated and associated with resolution of critical illness in 4 patients. This series demonstrates the apparent safety of CAP-1002 in COVID-19. While this initial experience is promising, efficacy will need to be further assessed in a randomized controlled trial.
Project description:Single-cell RNA-sequencing reveals a shift from focused IFN alpha-driven signals in COVID-19 ICU patients who survive to broad pro-inflammatory responses in fatal COVID-19 – a feature not observed in severe influenza. We conclude that fatal COVID-19 infection is driven by uncoordinated inflammatory responses that drive a hierarchy of T cell activation, elements of which can serve as prognostic indicators and potential targets for immune intervention.
Project description:Infections caused by SARS-CoV-2 may cause a severe disease, termed COVID-19, with significant mortality. Host responses to this infection, mainly in terms of systemic inflammation, have emerged as key pathogenetic mechanisms, and their modulation is the only therapeutic strategy that has shown a mortality benefit. Herein, we used peripheral blood transcriptomes of critically-ill COVID-19 patients obtained at admission in an Intensive Care Unit, to identify two clusters that, in spite of no major clinical differences, have different gene expression profiles that reveal different underlying pathogenetic mechanisms and ultimately have different ICU outcome. A transcriptomic signature was used to identify these clusters in an external validation cohort, yielding a similar result. These results illustrate the potential of transcriptomic profiles to identify patient endotypes and point to relevant pathogenetic mechanisms in COVID-19.
Project description:BackgroundThe efficacy of interleukin-6 receptor antagonists in critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is unclear.MethodsWe evaluated tocilizumab and sarilumab in an ongoing international, multifactorial, adaptive platform trial. Adult patients with Covid-19, within 24 hours after starting organ support in the intensive care unit (ICU), were randomly assigned to receive tocilizumab (8 mg per kilogram of body weight), sarilumab (400 mg), or standard care (control). The primary outcome was respiratory and cardiovascular organ support-free days, on an ordinal scale combining in-hospital death (assigned a value of -1) and days free of organ support to day 21. The trial uses a Bayesian statistical model with predefined criteria for superiority, efficacy, equivalence, or futility. An odds ratio greater than 1 represented improved survival, more organ support-free days, or both.ResultsBoth tocilizumab and sarilumab met the predefined criteria for efficacy. At that time, 353 patients had been assigned to tocilizumab, 48 to sarilumab, and 402 to control. The median number of organ support-free days was 10 (interquartile range, -1 to 16) in the tocilizumab group, 11 (interquartile range, 0 to 16) in the sarilumab group, and 0 (interquartile range, -1 to 15) in the control group. The median adjusted cumulative odds ratios were 1.64 (95% credible interval, 1.25 to 2.14) for tocilizumab and 1.76 (95% credible interval, 1.17 to 2.91) for sarilumab as compared with control, yielding posterior probabilities of superiority to control of more than 99.9% and of 99.5%, respectively. An analysis of 90-day survival showed improved survival in the pooled interleukin-6 receptor antagonist groups, yielding a hazard ratio for the comparison with the control group of 1.61 (95% credible interval, 1.25 to 2.08) and a posterior probability of superiority of more than 99.9%. All secondary analyses supported efficacy of these interleukin-6 receptor antagonists.ConclusionsIn critically ill patients with Covid-19 receiving organ support in ICUs, treatment with the interleukin-6 receptor antagonists tocilizumab and sarilumab improved outcomes, including survival. (REMAP-CAP ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02735707.).
Project description:Infections caused by SARS-CoV-2 may cause a severe disease, termed COVID-19, with significant mortality. Host responses to this infection, mainly in terms of systemic inflammation, have emerged as key pathogenetic mechanisms, and their modulation is the only therapeutic strategy that has shown a mortality benefit. Herein, we used peripheral blood transcriptomes of critically-ill COVID-19 patients obtained at admission in an Intensive Care Unit, to identify two clusters that, in spite of no major clinical differences, have different gene expression profiles that reveal different underlying pathogenetic mechanisms and ultimately have different ICU outcome. A transcriptomic signature was used to identify these clusters in an external validation cohort, yielding a similar result. These results illustrate the potential of transcriptomic profiles to identify patient endotypes and point to relevant pathogenetic mechanisms in COVID-19.
Project description:Infections caused by SARS-CoV-2 may cause a severe disease, termed COVID-19, with significant mortality. Host responses to this infection, mainly in terms of systemic inflammation, have emerged as key pathogenetic mechanisms, and their modulation is the only therapeutic strategy that has shown a mortality benefit. Herein, we used peripheral blood transcriptomes of critically-ill COVID-19 patients obtained at admission in an Intensive Care Unit, to identify two clusters that, in spite of no major clinical differences, have different gene expression profiles that reveal different underlying pathogenetic mechanisms and ultimately have different ICU outcome. A transcriptomic signature was used to identify these clusters in an external validation cohort, yielding a similar result. These results illustrate the potential of transcriptomic profiles to identify patient endotypes and point to relevant pathogenetic mechanisms in COVID-19.
Project description:Total plasma IgA glycosylation was compared between healthy volunteers and volunteers suffering fromo infections with either the influenza A virus or the severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2. Data from functional assays of the same plasma samples, such as neutrophil extracellular trap formation is also available.