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Convalescent plasma treatment in severely immunosuppressed patients hospitalized with COVID-19: an observational study of 28 cases

Ljungquist, Oskar LU ; Lundgren, Maria LU ; Iliachenko, Elena ; Månsson, Fredrik LU ; Böttiger, Blenda LU ; Landin-olsson, Mona LU ; Wikén, Christian ; Rosendal, Ebba ; Överby, Anna K. and Wigren, Byström J. , et al. (2022) In Infectious Diseases 54(4). p.283-291
Abstract
Background
Immunosuppressed patients are particularly vulnerable to severe infection from the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), risking prolonged viremia and symptom duration. In this study we describe clinical and virological treatment outcomes in a heterogeneous group of patients with severe immunosuppression due to various causes suffering from COVID-19 infection, who were all treated with convalescent plasma (CCP) along with standard treatment.

Methods
We performed an observational, retrospective case series between May 2020 to March 2021 at three sites in Skåne, Sweden, with a population of nearly 1.4 million people. All patients hospitalized for COVID-19 who received CCP with the... (More)
Background
Immunosuppressed patients are particularly vulnerable to severe infection from the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), risking prolonged viremia and symptom duration. In this study we describe clinical and virological treatment outcomes in a heterogeneous group of patients with severe immunosuppression due to various causes suffering from COVID-19 infection, who were all treated with convalescent plasma (CCP) along with standard treatment.

Methods
We performed an observational, retrospective case series between May 2020 to March 2021 at three sites in Skåne, Sweden, with a population of nearly 1.4 million people. All patients hospitalized for COVID-19 who received CCP with the indication severe immunosuppression as defined by the treating physician were included in the study (n = 28).

Results
In total, 28 severely immunocompromised patients, half of which previously had been treated with rituximab, who had received in-hospital convalescent plasma treatment of COVID-19 were identified. One week after CCP treatment, 13 of 28 (46%) patients had improved clinically defined as a decrease of at least one point at the WHO-scale. Three patients had increased score points of whom two had died. For 12 patients, the WHO-scale was unchanged.

Conclusion
As one of only few studies on CCP treatment of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients with severe immunosuppression, this study adds descriptive data. The study design prohibits conclusions on safety and efficacy, and the results should be interpreted with caution. Prospective, randomized trials are needed to investigate this further. (Less)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Infectious Diseases
volume
54
issue
4
pages
283 - 291
publisher
Informa Healthcare
external identifiers
  • scopus:85121359656
  • pmid:34878955
ISSN
1651-1980
DOI
10.1080/23744235.2021.2013528
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
f22ad549-ec03-4925-94a5-753427d0ad38
date added to LUP
2021-12-09 22:17:23
date last changed
2022-06-29 20:46:23
@article{f22ad549-ec03-4925-94a5-753427d0ad38,
  abstract     = {{Background<br/>Immunosuppressed patients are particularly vulnerable to severe infection from the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), risking prolonged viremia and symptom duration. In this study we describe clinical and virological treatment outcomes in a heterogeneous group of patients with severe immunosuppression due to various causes suffering from COVID-19 infection, who were all treated with convalescent plasma (CCP) along with standard treatment.<br/><br/>Methods<br/>We performed an observational, retrospective case series between May 2020 to March 2021 at three sites in Skåne, Sweden, with a population of nearly 1.4 million people. All patients hospitalized for COVID-19 who received CCP with the indication severe immunosuppression as defined by the treating physician were included in the study (n = 28).<br/><br/>Results<br/>In total, 28 severely immunocompromised patients, half of which previously had been treated with rituximab, who had received in-hospital convalescent plasma treatment of COVID-19 were identified. One week after CCP treatment, 13 of 28 (46%) patients had improved clinically defined as a decrease of at least one point at the WHO-scale. Three patients had increased score points of whom two had died. For 12 patients, the WHO-scale was unchanged.<br/><br/>Conclusion<br/>As one of only few studies on CCP treatment of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients with severe immunosuppression, this study adds descriptive data. The study design prohibits conclusions on safety and efficacy, and the results should be interpreted with caution. Prospective, randomized trials are needed to investigate this further.}},
  author       = {{Ljungquist, Oskar and Lundgren, Maria and Iliachenko, Elena and Månsson, Fredrik and Böttiger, Blenda and Landin-olsson, Mona and Wikén, Christian and Rosendal, Ebba and Överby, Anna K. and Wigren, Byström J. and Forsell, Mattias N. E. and Kjeldsen-kragh, Jens and Rasmussen, Magnus and Kahn, Fredrik and Holm, Karin}},
  issn         = {{1651-1980}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{283--291}},
  publisher    = {{Informa Healthcare}},
  series       = {{Infectious Diseases}},
  title        = {{Convalescent plasma treatment in severely immunosuppressed patients hospitalized with COVID-19: an observational study of 28 cases}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23744235.2021.2013528}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/23744235.2021.2013528}},
  volume       = {{54}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}