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1. Decoding the historical tale: COVID-19 impact on haematological malignancy patients—EPICOVIDEHA insights from 2020 to 2022

Author

Salmanton-Garcia, J., Marchesi, F., Farina, F., Weinbergerova, B., Itri, F., Davila-Valls, J., Martin-Perez, S., Glenthoj, A., Hersby, D. S., Gomes da Silva, M., Nunes Rodrigues, R., Lopez-Garcia, A., Cordoba, R., Bilgin, Y. M., Falces-Romero, I., El-Ashwah, S., Emarah, Z., Besson, C., Kohn, M., Van Doesum, J., Ammatuna, E., Marchetti, M., Labrador, J., Zambrotta, G. P. M., Verga, L., Jaksic, O., Nucci, M., Piukovics, K., Cabirta-Touzon, A., Jimenez, M., Arellano, E., Espigado, I., Blennow, O., Nordlander, A., Meers, S., van Praet, J., Aiello, T. F., Garcia-Vidal, C., Fracchiolla, N., Sciume, M., Seval, G. C., Zak, P., Buquicchio, C., Tascini, C., Grafe, S. K., Schonlein, M., Adzic-Vukicevic, T., Bonuomo, V., Cattaneo, C., Nizamuddin, S., Cernan, M., Plantefeve, G., Prin, R., Szotkovski, T., Collins, G. P., Dargenio, M., Petzer, V., Wolf, D., Colovic, N., Prezioso, L., Valkovic, T., Passamonti, F., Mendez, G. -A., Sili, U., Vena, A., Bavastro, M., Limongelli, A., Duarte, R. F., Ledoux, M. -P., Cvetanoski, M., Stojanoski, Z., Machado, M., Batinic, J., Magliano, G., Biernat, M. M., Pantic, N., Poulsen, C. B., Cuccaro, A., Del Principe, M. I., Kulasekararaj, A., Ormazabal-Velez, I., Busca, A., Demirkan, F., Ijaz, M., Klimko, N., Stoma, I., Khostelidi, S., Fernandez, N., Omrani, A. S., Bergantim, R., De Jonge, N., Fouquet, G., Navratil, M., Abu-Zeinah, G., Samarkos, M., Maertens, J., De Ramon, C., Guidetti, A., Magyari, F., Gonzalez-Lopez, T. J., Lahmer, T., Finizio, O., Ali, N., Pinczes, L. I., Lavilla-Rubira, E., Romano, A., Merelli, M., Delia, M., Calbacho, M., Meletiadis, J., Antic, D., Hernandez-Rivas, J. -A., Marques de Almeida, J., Al-Khabori, M., Hoenigl, M., Tisi, M. C., Khanna, N., Barac, A., Eisa, N., Di Blasi, R., Lievin, R., Miranda-Castillo, C., Bahr, N. C., Lamure, S., Papa, M. V., Yahya, A., Aujayeb, A., Novak, J., Erben, N., Fernandez-Galan, M., Ribera-Santa Susana, J. -M., Rinaldi, I., Fazzi, R., Piedimonte, M., Dulery, R., Gonzaga, Y., Soto-Silva, A., Sapienza, G., Serris, A., Drgona, Groh, A., Serrano, L., Gavriilaki, E., Tragiannidis, A., Prattes, J., Coppola, N., Otasevic, V., Mladenovic, M., Mitrovic, M., Miskovic, B., Jindra, P., Zompi, S., Sacchi, M. V., Krekeler, C., Infante, M. S., Garcia-Bordallo, D., Colak, G. M., Mayer, J., Nygaard, M., Hanakova, M., Racil, Z., Bonanni, Matteo, Koehler, P., Rahimli, L., Cornely, O. A., Pagano, Livio, Martin-Vallejo, F. J., Zdziarski, P., Zarrinfer, H., Wittig, J., Win, S., Wai-Man, V., Visek, B., Vinh, D. C., Vehreschild, M., Varricchio, G., Tsirigotis, P., Torres-Tienza, A., Tanase, A. D., Tafuri, A., Stamouli, M., Sramek, J., Soussain, C., Shirinova, A., Schubert, J., Schalk, E., Salehi, M. R., Saleh, M., Rosati, G., Roldan, E., Reizine, F., Rego, M., Regalado-Artamendi, I., Popova, M., Pinto, F., Philippe, L., Orth, H. M., Ommen, H. -B., Obr, A., Nunez-Martin-Buitrago, L., Noel, N., Neuhann, J., Nadali, G., Nacov, J. A., Munhoz Alburquerque, A. M., Mitra, M. E., Mikulska, M., Mellinghoff, S., Mechtel, B., Martin-Gonzalez, J. -A., Malak, S., Loureiro-Amigo, J., Lorenzo De La Pena, L., Liberti, G., Landau, M., Lacej, I., Kolditz, M., Kho, C. S., Khedr, R. A., Karthaus, M., Karlsson, L. K., Jimenez-Lorenzo, M. -J., Izuzquiza, M., Hoell-Neugebauer, B., Herbrecht, R., Heath, C. H., Guolo, F., Grothe, J., Giordano, A., Gerasymchuk, S., Garcia-Sanz, R., Garcia-Pouton, N., Funke, V. A. M., Fung, M., Flasshove, C., Fianchi, Luana, Essame, J., Egger, M., Drenou, B., Dragonetti, G., Desole, M., Della Pepa, R., Deau Fischer, B., De Kort, E., De Cabo, E., Danion, F., Daguindau, E., Cushion, T., Cremer, L., Criscuolo, Marianna, Cordini, G., Cingolani, Antonella, Ciceri, F., Chowdhury, F. R., Chelysheva, E., Chauchet, A., Chai, L. Y. A., Ceesay, M. M., Busch, E., Brehon, M., Borducchi, D. M. M., Booth, S., Bologna, S., Berg Venemyr, C., Bailen-Almorox, R., Antoniadou, A., Anastasopoulou, A. N., Altuntas, F., Bonanni M., Pagano L. (ORCID:0000-0001-8287-928X), Fianchi L., Criscuolo M., Cingolani A. (ORCID:0000-0002-3793-2755), Salmanton-Garcia, J., Marchesi, F., Farina, F., Weinbergerova, B., Itri, F., Davila-Valls, J., Martin-Perez, S., Glenthoj, A., Hersby, D. S., Gomes da Silva, M., Nunes Rodrigues, R., Lopez-Garcia, A., Cordoba, R., Bilgin, Y. M., Falces-Romero, I., El-Ashwah, S., Emarah, Z., Besson, C., Kohn, M., Van Doesum, J., Ammatuna, E., Marchetti, M., Labrador, J., Zambrotta, G. P. M., Verga, L., Jaksic, O., Nucci, M., Piukovics, K., Cabirta-Touzon, A., Jimenez, M., Arellano, E., Espigado, I., Blennow, O., Nordlander, A., Meers, S., van Praet, J., Aiello, T. F., Garcia-Vidal, C., Fracchiolla, N., Sciume, M., Seval, G. C., Zak, P., Buquicchio, C., Tascini, C., Grafe, S. K., Schonlein, M., Adzic-Vukicevic, T., Bonuomo, V., Cattaneo, C., Nizamuddin, S., Cernan, M., Plantefeve, G., Prin, R., Szotkovski, T., Collins, G. P., Dargenio, M., Petzer, V., Wolf, D., Colovic, N., Prezioso, L., Valkovic, T., Passamonti, F., Mendez, G. -A., Sili, U., Vena, A., Bavastro, M., Limongelli, A., Duarte, R. F., Ledoux, M. -P., Cvetanoski, M., Stojanoski, Z., Machado, M., Batinic, J., Magliano, G., Biernat, M. M., Pantic, N., Poulsen, C. B., Cuccaro, A., Del Principe, M. I., Kulasekararaj, A., Ormazabal-Velez, I., Busca, A., Demirkan, F., Ijaz, M., Klimko, N., Stoma, I., Khostelidi, S., Fernandez, N., Omrani, A. S., Bergantim, R., De Jonge, N., Fouquet, G., Navratil, M., Abu-Zeinah, G., Samarkos, M., Maertens, J., De Ramon, C., Guidetti, A., Magyari, F., Gonzalez-Lopez, T. J., Lahmer, T., Finizio, O., Ali, N., Pinczes, L. I., Lavilla-Rubira, E., Romano, A., Merelli, M., Delia, M., Calbacho, M., Meletiadis, J., Antic, D., Hernandez-Rivas, J. -A., Marques de Almeida, J., Al-Khabori, M., Hoenigl, M., Tisi, M. C., Khanna, N., Barac, A., Eisa, N., Di Blasi, R., Lievin, R., Miranda-Castillo, C., Bahr, N. C., Lamure, S., Papa, M. V., Yahya, A., Aujayeb, A., Novak, J., Erben, N., Fernandez-Galan, M., Ribera-Santa Susana, J. -M., Rinaldi, I., Fazzi, R., Piedimonte, M., Dulery, R., Gonzaga, Y., Soto-Silva, A., Sapienza, G., Serris, A., Drgona, Groh, A., Serrano, L., Gavriilaki, E., Tragiannidis, A., Prattes, J., Coppola, N., Otasevic, V., Mladenovic, M., Mitrovic, M., Miskovic, B., Jindra, P., Zompi, S., Sacchi, M. V., Krekeler, C., Infante, M. S., Garcia-Bordallo, D., Colak, G. M., Mayer, J., Nygaard, M., Hanakova, M., Racil, Z., Bonanni, Matteo, Koehler, P., Rahimli, L., Cornely, O. A., Pagano, Livio, Martin-Vallejo, F. J., Zdziarski, P., Zarrinfer, H., Wittig, J., Win, S., Wai-Man, V., Visek, B., Vinh, D. C., Vehreschild, M., Varricchio, G., Tsirigotis, P., Torres-Tienza, A., Tanase, A. D., Tafuri, A., Stamouli, M., Sramek, J., Soussain, C., Shirinova, A., Schubert, J., Schalk, E., Salehi, M. R., Saleh, M., Rosati, G., Roldan, E., Reizine, F., Rego, M., Regalado-Artamendi, I., Popova, M., Pinto, F., Philippe, L., Orth, H. M., Ommen, H. -B., Obr, A., Nunez-Martin-Buitrago, L., Noel, N., Neuhann, J., Nadali, G., Nacov, J. A., Munhoz Alburquerque, A. M., Mitra, M. E., Mikulska, M., Mellinghoff, S., Mechtel, B., Martin-Gonzalez, J. -A., Malak, S., Loureiro-Amigo, J., Lorenzo De La Pena, L., Liberti, G., Landau, M., Lacej, I., Kolditz, M., Kho, C. S., Khedr, R. A., Karthaus, M., Karlsson, L. K., Jimenez-Lorenzo, M. -J., Izuzquiza, M., Hoell-Neugebauer, B., Herbrecht, R., Heath, C. H., Guolo, F., Grothe, J., Giordano, A., Gerasymchuk, S., Garcia-Sanz, R., Garcia-Pouton, N., Funke, V. A. M., Fung, M., Flasshove, C., Fianchi, Luana, Essame, J., Egger, M., Drenou, B., Dragonetti, G., Desole, M., Della Pepa, R., Deau Fischer, B., De Kort, E., De Cabo, E., Danion, F., Daguindau, E., Cushion, T., Cremer, L., Criscuolo, Marianna, Cordini, G., Cingolani, Antonella, Ciceri, F., Chowdhury, F. R., Chelysheva, E., Chauchet, A., Chai, L. Y. A., Ceesay, M. M., Busch, E., Brehon, M., Borducchi, D. M. M., Booth, S., Bologna, S., Berg Venemyr, C., Bailen-Almorox, R., Antoniadou, A., Anastasopoulou, A. N., Altuntas, F., Bonanni M., Pagano L. (ORCID:0000-0001-8287-928X), Fianchi L., Criscuolo M., and Cingolani A. (ORCID:0000-0002-3793-2755)

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic heightened risks for individuals with hematological malignancies due to compromised immune systems, leading to more severe outcomes and increased mortality. While interventions like vaccines, targeted antivirals, and monoclonal antibodies have been effective for the general population, their benefits for these patients may not be as pronounced. Methods: The EPICOVIDEHA registry (National Clinical Trials Identifier, NCT04733729) gathers COVID-19 data from hematological malignancy patients since the pandemic's start worldwide. It spans various global locations, allowing comprehensive analysis over the first three years (2020–2022). Findings: The EPICOVIDEHA registry collected data from January 2020 to December 2022, involving 8767 COVID-19 cases in hematological malignancy patients from 152 centers across 41 countries, with 42% being female. Over this period, there was a significant reduction in critical infections and an overall decrease in mortality from 29% to 4%. However, hospitalization, particularly in the ICU, remained associated with higher mortality rates. Factors contributing to increased mortality included age, multiple comorbidities, active malignancy at COVID-19 onset, pulmonary symptoms, and hospitalization. On the positive side, vaccination with one to two doses or three or more doses, as well as encountering COVID-19 in 2022, were associated with improved survival. Interpretation: Patients with hematological malignancies still face elevated risks, despite reductions in critical infections and overall mortality rates over time. Hospitalization, especially in ICUs, remains a significant concern. The study underscores the importance of vaccination and the timing of COVID-19 exposure in 2022 for enhanced survival in this patient group. Ongoing monitoring and targeted interventions are essential to support this vulnerable population, emphasizing the critical role of timely diagnosis and prompt treatment in preventing severe

Published
2024

2. The mortality of COVID-19 in CML patients from 2020 until 2022: results from the EPICOVIDEHA survey

Author

El-Ashwah, S., Salmanton-Garcia, J., Bilgin, Y. M., Itri, F., Zak, P., Weinbergerova, B., Verga, L., Omrani, A. S., Silva, M. G. D., Szotkowski, T., Marchetti, M., Buquicchio, C., Nucci, M., Schonlein, M., Farina, F., Besson, C., Prezioso, L., Nizamuddin, S., Davila-Valls, J., Martin-Perez, S., Bonuomo, V., Van Doesum, J., Tisi, M. C., Passamonti, F., Mendez, G. -A., Meers, S., Maertens, J., Lopez-Garcia, A., Glenthoj, A., Bonnani, M., Rinaldi, I., Ormazabal-Velez, I., Labrador, J., Kulasekararaj, A., Espigado, I., Demirkan, F., De Jonge, N., Collins, G. P., Calbacho, M., Blennow, O., Al-Khabori, M., Adzic-Vukicevic, T., Arellano, E., Miskovic, B., Mladenovic, M., Nordlander, A., Racil, Z., Ammatuna, E., Cordoba, R., Hersby, D. S., Grafe, S., Emarah, Z., Hanakova, M., Sacchi, M. V., Ijaz, M., Rahimli, L., Nunes Rodrigues, R., Zambrotta, G. P. M., Marchesi, F., Cornely, O. A., Pagano, Livio, Pagano L. (ORCID:0000-0001-8287-928X), El-Ashwah, S., Salmanton-Garcia, J., Bilgin, Y. M., Itri, F., Zak, P., Weinbergerova, B., Verga, L., Omrani, A. S., Silva, M. G. D., Szotkowski, T., Marchetti, M., Buquicchio, C., Nucci, M., Schonlein, M., Farina, F., Besson, C., Prezioso, L., Nizamuddin, S., Davila-Valls, J., Martin-Perez, S., Bonuomo, V., Van Doesum, J., Tisi, M. C., Passamonti, F., Mendez, G. -A., Meers, S., Maertens, J., Lopez-Garcia, A., Glenthoj, A., Bonnani, M., Rinaldi, I., Ormazabal-Velez, I., Labrador, J., Kulasekararaj, A., Espigado, I., Demirkan, F., De Jonge, N., Collins, G. P., Calbacho, M., Blennow, O., Al-Khabori, M., Adzic-Vukicevic, T., Arellano, E., Miskovic, B., Mladenovic, M., Nordlander, A., Racil, Z., Ammatuna, E., Cordoba, R., Hersby, D. S., Grafe, S., Emarah, Z., Hanakova, M., Sacchi, M. V., Ijaz, M., Rahimli, L., Nunes Rodrigues, R., Zambrotta, G. P. M., Marchesi, F., Cornely, O. A., Pagano, Livio, and Pagano L. (ORCID:0000-0001-8287-928X)

Abstract

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an overall improvement in patient mortality. However, haematological malignancy patients continue to experience significant impacts from COVID-19, including high rates of hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, and mortality. In comparison to other haematological malignancy patients, individuals with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) generally have better prognosis. This study, conducted using a large haematological malignancy patient database (EPICOVIDEHA), demonstrated that the majority of CML patients experienced mild infections. The decline in severe and critical infections over the years can largely be attributed to the widespread administration of vaccinations and the positive response they elicited. Notably, the mortality rate among CML patients was low and exhibited a downward trend in subsequent years. Importantly, our analysis provided confirmation of the effectiveness of vaccinations in CML patients.

Published
2024

3. Molnupiravir compared to nirmatrelvir/ritonavir for COVID-19 in high-risk patients with haematological malignancy in Europe. A matched-paired analysis from the EPICOVIDEHA registry

Author

Salmanton-Garcia, J., Marchesi, F., Koehler, P., Weinbergerova, B., Colovic, N., Falces-Romero, I., Buquicchio, C., Farina, F., van Praet, J., Biernat, M. M., Itri, F., Prezioso, L., Tascini, C., Vena, A., Romano, A., Delia, M., Davila-Valls, J., Martin-Perez, S., Lavilla-Rubira, E., Adzic-vukicevic, T., Garcia-Bordallo, D., Lopez-Garcia, A., Criscuolo, Marianna, Petzer, V., Fracchiolla, N. S., Espigado, I., Sili, U., Meers, S., Erben, N., Cattaneo, C., Tragiannidis, A., Gavriilaki, E., Schonlein, M., Mitrovic, M., Pantic, N., Merelli, M., Labrador, J., Hernandez-Rivas, J. -A., Glenthoj, A., Fouquet, G., del Principe, M. I., Dargenio, M., Calbacho, M., Besson, C., Kohn, M., Grafe, S., Hersby, D. S., Arellano, E., Colak, G. M., Wolf, D., Marchetti, M., Nordlander, A., Blennow, O., Cordoba, R., Miskovic, B., Mladenovic, M., Bavastro, M., Limongelli, A., Rahimli, L., Pagano, Livio, Cornely, O. A., Criscuolo M., Pagano L. (ORCID:0000-0001-8287-928X), Salmanton-Garcia, J., Marchesi, F., Koehler, P., Weinbergerova, B., Colovic, N., Falces-Romero, I., Buquicchio, C., Farina, F., van Praet, J., Biernat, M. M., Itri, F., Prezioso, L., Tascini, C., Vena, A., Romano, A., Delia, M., Davila-Valls, J., Martin-Perez, S., Lavilla-Rubira, E., Adzic-vukicevic, T., Garcia-Bordallo, D., Lopez-Garcia, A., Criscuolo, Marianna, Petzer, V., Fracchiolla, N. S., Espigado, I., Sili, U., Meers, S., Erben, N., Cattaneo, C., Tragiannidis, A., Gavriilaki, E., Schonlein, M., Mitrovic, M., Pantic, N., Merelli, M., Labrador, J., Hernandez-Rivas, J. -A., Glenthoj, A., Fouquet, G., del Principe, M. I., Dargenio, M., Calbacho, M., Besson, C., Kohn, M., Grafe, S., Hersby, D. S., Arellano, E., Colak, G. M., Wolf, D., Marchetti, M., Nordlander, A., Blennow, O., Cordoba, R., Miskovic, B., Mladenovic, M., Bavastro, M., Limongelli, A., Rahimli, L., Pagano, Livio, Cornely, O. A., Criscuolo M., and Pagano L. (ORCID:0000-0001-8287-928X)

Abstract

Introduction: Molnupiravir and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir are antivirals used to prevent progression to severe SARS-CoV-2 infections and decrease hospitalisation and mortality rates. Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir was authorised in Europe in December 2021, whereas molnupiravir is not yet licensed in Europe as of February 2022. Molnupiravir may be an alternative to nirmatrelvir/ritonavir because it is associated with fewer drug-drug interactions and contraindications. A caveat for molnupiravir is the mode of action induces viral mutations. Mortality rate reduction with molnupiravir was less pronounced than that with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir in patients without haematological malignancy. Little is known about the comparative efficacy of the two drugs in patients with haematological malignancy at high-risk of severe COVID-19. Thus, molnupiravir and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir were compared in a cohort of patients with haematological malignancies. Methods: Clinical data from patients treated with molnupiravir or nirmatrelvir/ritonavir monotherapy for COVID-19 were retrieved from the EPICOVIDEHA registry. Patients treated with molnupiravir were matched by sex, age (±10 years), and severity of baseline haematological malignancy to controls treated with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir. Results: A total of 116 patients receiving molnupiravir for the clinical management of COVID-19 were matched to an equal number of controls receiving nirmatrelvir/ritonavir. In each of the groups, 68 (59%) patients were male; with a median age of 64 years (interquartile range [IQR] 53-74) for molnupiravir recipients and 64 years (IQR 54-73) for nirmatrelvir/ritonavir recipients; 56.9% (n=66) of the patients had controlled baseline haematological malignancy, 12.9% (n=15) had stable disease, and 30.2% (n=35) had active disease at COVID-19 onset in each group. During COVID-19 infection, one third of patients from each group were admitted to hospital. Although a similar proportion of patients in the two groups were vaccina

Published
2023

4. Age, successive waves, immunization, and mortality in elderly COVID-19 hematological patients: EPICOVIDEHA findings

Author

Rossi, G., Salmanton-Garcia, J., Cattaneo, C., Marchesi, F., Davila-Valls, J., Martin-Perez, S., Itri, F., Lopez-Garcia, A., Glenthoj, A., Da Silva, M. G., Besson, C., Marchetti, M., Weinbergerova, B., Jaksic, O., Jimenez, M., Bilgin, Y. M., Van Doesum, J., Farina, F., Ak, P., Verga, L., Collins, G. P., Bonuomo, V., Praet, J. V., Nucci, M., Meers, S., Espigado, I., Fracchiolla, N. S., Valkovic, T., Poulsen, C. B., Colovic, N., Dragonetti, Giulia, Ledoux, M. -P., Tascini, C., Buquicchio, C., Blennow, O., Passamonti, F., Machado, M., Labrador, J., Duarte, R. F., Schonlein, M., Prezioso, L., Falces-Romero, I., Kulasekararaj, A., Garcia-Vidal, C., Fernandez, N., Abu-Zeinah, G., Ormazabal-Velez, I., Ad ic-Vukicevic, T., Piukovics, K., Stoma, I., Cuccaro, A., Magliano, G., Szotkowski, T., Gonzalez-Lopez, T. -J., El-Ashwah, S., Bergantim, R., Sili, U., Maertens, J., Demirkan, F., De Ramon, C., Petzer, V., Del Principe, M. I., Navratil, M., Dargenio, M., Seval, G. C., Samarkos, M., Racil, Z., Pinczes, L. I., Lahmer, T., Busca, A., Mendez, G. -A., Vena, A., Biernat, M. M., Merelli, M., Calbacho, M., Barac, A., Bavastro, M., Limongelli, A., Ilhan, O., Wolf, D., Colak, G. M., Garcia-Sanz, R., Emarah, Z., Mi kovic, B., Grafe, S. K., Mladenovic, M., Aiello, T. F., Nunez-Martin-Buitrago, L., Nordlander, A., Arellano, E., Zambrotta, G. P. M., Ammatuna, E., Cabirta, A., Sacchi, M. V., Rodrigues, R. N., Hersby, D. S., Hanakova, M., Rahimli, L., Cordoba, R., Cornely, O. A., Pagano, Livio, Marques De, Almeida, Hernandez-Rivas, Marques De Almeida, J., Hernandez-Rivas, J. A., Guidetti, A., Finizio, O., Stojanoski, Z., Cvetanoski, M., Meletiadis, J., De Jonge, N., Antic, D., Ali, N., Tisi, M. C., Serrano, L., Plantefeve, G., Khanna, N., Hoenigl, M., Cernan, M., Miranda-Castillo, C., Fernandez-Galan, M., Serris, A., Erben, N., Dulery, R., Aujayeb, A., Papa, M. V., Novak, J., Delia, M., Sapienza, G., Reizine, F., Omrani, A. S., Di Blasi, R., Lamure, S., Drgona, L., Coppola, N., Batinic, J., Al-Khabori, M., Ribera-Santa Susana, J. -M., Piedimonte, M., Loureiro-Amigo, J., Fouquet, G., Fazzi, R., Danion, F., Schubert, J., Hoell-Neugebauer, B., Bahr, N. C., Yahia, A. O., Torres-Atienza, A., Rinaldi, I., Popova, M., Ommen, H. -B., Mitra, M. E., Mikulska, M., Lacej, I., Khostelidi, S., Win, S., Vinh, D., Saleh, M., Prattes, J., Jindra, P., Guolo, F., Della Pepa, R., Chelysheva, E., Zdziarski, P., Wai-Man, V., Soto-Silva, A., Orth, H. M., Malak, S., Lorenzo De La Pena, L., Kolditz, M., Kho, C. S., Heath, C. H., Groh, A., Gavriilaki, E., Fung, M., Egger, M., De Kort, E., De Cabo, E., Cushion, T., Chowdhury, F. R., Ceesay, M. M., Brehon, M., Varricchio, G., Tafuri, A., Jimenez-Lorenzo, M. -J., Klimko, N., Tsirigotis, P., Antoniadou, A., Vehreschild, M., Dragonetti G., Pagano L. (ORCID:0000-0001-8287-928X), Rossi, G., Salmanton-Garcia, J., Cattaneo, C., Marchesi, F., Davila-Valls, J., Martin-Perez, S., Itri, F., Lopez-Garcia, A., Glenthoj, A., Da Silva, M. G., Besson, C., Marchetti, M., Weinbergerova, B., Jaksic, O., Jimenez, M., Bilgin, Y. M., Van Doesum, J., Farina, F., Ak, P., Verga, L., Collins, G. P., Bonuomo, V., Praet, J. V., Nucci, M., Meers, S., Espigado, I., Fracchiolla, N. S., Valkovic, T., Poulsen, C. B., Colovic, N., Dragonetti, Giulia, Ledoux, M. -P., Tascini, C., Buquicchio, C., Blennow, O., Passamonti, F., Machado, M., Labrador, J., Duarte, R. F., Schonlein, M., Prezioso, L., Falces-Romero, I., Kulasekararaj, A., Garcia-Vidal, C., Fernandez, N., Abu-Zeinah, G., Ormazabal-Velez, I., Ad ic-Vukicevic, T., Piukovics, K., Stoma, I., Cuccaro, A., Magliano, G., Szotkowski, T., Gonzalez-Lopez, T. -J., El-Ashwah, S., Bergantim, R., Sili, U., Maertens, J., Demirkan, F., De Ramon, C., Petzer, V., Del Principe, M. I., Navratil, M., Dargenio, M., Seval, G. C., Samarkos, M., Racil, Z., Pinczes, L. I., Lahmer, T., Busca, A., Mendez, G. -A., Vena, A., Biernat, M. M., Merelli, M., Calbacho, M., Barac, A., Bavastro, M., Limongelli, A., Ilhan, O., Wolf, D., Colak, G. M., Garcia-Sanz, R., Emarah, Z., Mi kovic, B., Grafe, S. K., Mladenovic, M., Aiello, T. F., Nunez-Martin-Buitrago, L., Nordlander, A., Arellano, E., Zambrotta, G. P. M., Ammatuna, E., Cabirta, A., Sacchi, M. V., Rodrigues, R. N., Hersby, D. S., Hanakova, M., Rahimli, L., Cordoba, R., Cornely, O. A., Pagano, Livio, Marques De, Almeida, Hernandez-Rivas, Marques De Almeida, J., Hernandez-Rivas, J. A., Guidetti, A., Finizio, O., Stojanoski, Z., Cvetanoski, M., Meletiadis, J., De Jonge, N., Antic, D., Ali, N., Tisi, M. C., Serrano, L., Plantefeve, G., Khanna, N., Hoenigl, M., Cernan, M., Miranda-Castillo, C., Fernandez-Galan, M., Serris, A., Erben, N., Dulery, R., Aujayeb, A., Papa, M. V., Novak, J., Delia, M., Sapienza, G., Reizine, F., Omrani, A. S., Di Blasi, R., Lamure, S., Drgona, L., Coppola, N., Batinic, J., Al-Khabori, M., Ribera-Santa Susana, J. -M., Piedimonte, M., Loureiro-Amigo, J., Fouquet, G., Fazzi, R., Danion, F., Schubert, J., Hoell-Neugebauer, B., Bahr, N. C., Yahia, A. O., Torres-Atienza, A., Rinaldi, I., Popova, M., Ommen, H. -B., Mitra, M. E., Mikulska, M., Lacej, I., Khostelidi, S., Win, S., Vinh, D., Saleh, M., Prattes, J., Jindra, P., Guolo, F., Della Pepa, R., Chelysheva, E., Zdziarski, P., Wai-Man, V., Soto-Silva, A., Orth, H. M., Malak, S., Lorenzo De La Pena, L., Kolditz, M., Kho, C. S., Heath, C. H., Groh, A., Gavriilaki, E., Fung, M., Egger, M., De Kort, E., De Cabo, E., Cushion, T., Chowdhury, F. R., Ceesay, M. M., Brehon, M., Varricchio, G., Tafuri, A., Jimenez-Lorenzo, M. -J., Klimko, N., Tsirigotis, P., Antoniadou, A., Vehreschild, M., Dragonetti G., and Pagano L. (ORCID:0000-0001-8287-928X)

Abstract

Objectives: Elderly patients with hematologic malignancies face the highest risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes. The infection's impact on different age groups remains unstudied in detail. Methods: We analyzed elderly patients (age groups: 65-70, 71-75, 76-80, and >80 years old) with hematologic malignancies included in the EPICOVIDEHA registry between January 2020 and July 2022. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression models were conducted to identify factors influencing death in COVID-19 patients with hematological malignancy. Results: The study included data from 3,603 elderly patients (aged 65 or older) with hematological malignancy, with a majority being male (58.1%) and a significant proportion having comorbidities. The patients were divided into four age groups, and the analysis assessed COVID-19 outcomes, vaccination status, and other variables in relation to age and pandemic waves. The 90-day survival rate for patients with COVID-19 was 71.2%, with significant differences between groups. The pandemic waves had varying impacts, with the first wave affecting patients over 80 years old, the second being more severe in 65-70, and the third being the least severe in all age groups. Factors contributing to 90-day mortality included age, comorbidities, lymphopenia, active malignancy, acute leukemia, less than three vaccine doses, severe COVID-19, and using only corticosteroids as treatment. Conclusion: These data underscore the heterogeneity of elderly hematological patients, highlight the different impacts of COVID-19 waves and the pivotal importance of vaccination, and may help in planning future healthcare efforts.

Published
2023

5. Breakthrough COVID-19 in vaccinated patients with hematologic malignancies: results from the EPICOVIDEHA survey

Author

Pagano, Livio, Salmanton-Garcia, J., Marchesi, F., Blennow, O., Gomes da Silva, M., Glenthoj, A., van Doesum, J., Bilgin, Y. M., Lopez-Garcia, A., Itri, F., Nunes Rodrigues, R., Weinbergerova, B., Farina, F., Dragonetti, Giulia, Berg Venemyr, C., van Praet, J., Jaksic, O., Valkovic, T., Falces-Romero, I., Martin-Perez, S., Jimenez, M., Davila-Valls, J., Schonlein, M., Ammatuna, E., Meers, S., Delia, M., Stojanoski, Z., Nordlander, A., Lahmer, T., Imre Pinczes, L., Buquicchio, C., Piukovics, K., Ormazabal-Velez, I., Fracchiolla, N., Samarkos, M., Mendez, G. -A., Hernandez-Rivas, J. -A., Espigado, I., Cernan, M., Petzer, V., Lamure, S., di Blasi, R., Marques de Almedia, J., Dargenio, M., Biernat, M. M., Sciume, M., de Ramon, C., de Jonge, N., Batinic, J., Aujayeb, A., Marchetti, M., Fouquet, G., Fernandez, N., Zambrotta, G., Sacchi, M. V., Guidetti, A., Demirkan, F., Prezioso, L., Racil, Z., Nucci, M., Mladenovic, M., Lievin, R., Hanakova, M., Grafe, S., Sili, U., Machado, M., Cattaneo, C., Adzic-Vukicevic, T., Verga, L., Labrador, J., Rahimli, L., Bonanni, Matteo, Passamonti, F., Pagliuca, A., Corradini, P., Hoenigl, M., Koehler, P., Busca, A., Cornely, O. A., Serrano, L., Ribera-Santa Susana, J. -M., Meletiadis, J., Tsirigotis, P., Coppola, N., Mikulska, M., Erben, N., Besson, C., Merelli, M., Gonzalez-Lopez, T. -J., Loureiro-Amigo, J., Garcia-Vidal, C., Kort, E. D., Cuccaro, A., Zompi, S., Reizine, F., Finizio, O., Dulery, R., Calbacho, M., Abu-Zeinah, G., Malak, S., Zdziarski, P., Varrichio, G., Tragiannidis, A., Plantefeve, G., Duarte, R., Danion, F., Tisi, M. C., Sakellari, I., Karthaus, M., Groh, A., Fung, M., Emarah, Z., Coronel-Ayala, O. -F., Ann Chai, L. Y., Brehon, M., Bonuomo, V., Wolf, D., Wittig, J., Vehreschild, M., Papa, M. V., Neuhann, J., Jimenez-Lorenzo, M. -J., Grothe, J., Gavriilaki, E., Garcia-Sanz, R., Garcia-Pouton, N., El-Ashwah, S. S., Eggerer, M., Cordoba, R., Colak, G. M., Arellano, E., Hematology, Pagano L., Salmanton-García J., Marchesi F., Blennow O., Gomes da Silva M., Glenthøj A., van Doesum J., Bilgin Y. M. , López-García A., Itri F., et al., and Gilead Sciences

Subjects
Internal Diseases, Clinical Trials and Observations, CELL BIOLOGY, Cardiorespiratory Medicine and Haematology, Sağlık Bilimleri, Fundamental Medical Sciences, Biochemistry, İç Hastalıkları, Clinical Medicine (MED), COVID-19 Testing, BİYOKİMYA VE MOLEKÜLER BİYOLOJİ, Biyokimya, Monoclonal, Klinik Tıp (MED), 03.02. Klinikai orvostan, Viral, Lung, Cancer, BIOMEDICINA I ZDRAVSTVO. Kliničke medicinske znanosti. Interna medicina, Lymphoid Neoplasia, Myeloid Neoplasia, Klinik Tıp, Hücre Biyolojisi, Temel Bilimler, HEMATOLOJİ, Life Sciences, HÜCRE BİYOLOJİSİ, Tıp, MOLECULAR BIOLOGY & GENETICS, Infectious Diseases, Hematologic Neoplasms, Medicine, Natural Sciences, Infection, BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, BIOMEDICINA I ZDRAVSTVO. Kliničke medicinske znanosti. Infektologija, Sitogenetik, Biotechnology, Adult, Clinical Sciences, Immunology, Temel Tıp Bilimleri, Histoloji-Embriyoloji, Life Sciences (LIFE), Molecular Biology and Genetics, Antiviral Agents, Antibodies, Vaccine Related, Paediatrics and Reproductive Medicine, HEMATOLOGY, Biodefense, Yaşam Bilimleri, Health Sciences, Humans, CVOID19, Cytogenetic, Free Research Articles, BIOMEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE. Clinical Medical Sciences. Internal Medicine, Moleküler Biyoloji ve Genetik, Internal Medicine Sciences, İmmünoloji, SARS-CoV-2, Histology and Embryology, Prevention, COVID-19, Dahili Tıp Bilimleri, CLINICAL MEDICINE, BIOMEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE. Clinical Medical Sciences. Infectology, Settore MED/15 - MALATTIE DEL SANGUE, Emerging Infectious Diseases, Good Health and Well Being, Yaşam Bilimleri (LIFE), Hematoloji, Immunization
Abstract

Limited data are available on breakthrough COVID-19 in patients with hematologic malignancy (HM) after anti–severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination. Adult patients with HM, ≥1 dose of anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, and breakthrough COVID-19 between January 2021 and March 2022 were analyzed. A total of 1548 cases were included, mainly lymphoid malignancies (1181 cases, 76%). After viral sequencing in 753 cases (49%), the Omicron variant was prevalent (517, 68.7%). Most of the patients received ≤2 vaccine doses before COVID-19 (1419, 91%), mostly mRNA-based (1377, 89%). Overall, 906 patients (59%) received COVID-19-specific treatment. After 30-day follow-up from COVID-19 diagnosis, 143 patients (9%) died. The mortality rate in patients with the Omicron variant was 7.9%, comparable to other variants, with a significantly lower 30-day mortality rate than in the prevaccine era (31%). In the univariable analysis, older age (P < .001), active HM (P < .001), and severe and critical COVID-19 (P = .007 and P < .001, respectively) were associated with mortality. Conversely, patients receiving monoclonal antibodies, even for severe or critical COVID-19, had a lower mortality rate (P < .001). In the multivariable model, older age, active disease, critical COVID-19, and 2-3 comorbidities were correlated with a higher mortality, whereas monoclonal antibody administration, alone (P < .001) or combined with antivirals (P = .009), was protective. Although mortality is significantly lower than in the prevaccination era, breakthrough COVID-19 in HM is still associated with considerable mortality. Death rate was lower in patients who received monoclonal antibodies, alone or in combination with antivirals., EPICOVIDEHA has received funds from Optics COMMIT (COVID-19 Unmet Medical Needs and Associated Research Extension) COVID-19 RFP program by GILEAD Science, United States (Project 2020-8223).

Published
2022

8. Sensitivity of Modeled Microphysics to Stochastically Perturbed Parameters

Author

Vukicevic, T., Posselt, D. J., Stankovic, Aleksa, Vukicevic, T., Posselt, D. J., and Stankovic, Aleksa

Abstract

This study examines the characteristics of several model parameter perturbation methodologies for ensemble simulations of cloud microphysical processes in convection. A simplified 1D model is used to focus the results on cloud microphysics without the complication of feedbacks to the dynamics and environment. Several parameter perturbation methods are tested, including non-stochastic and stochastic with various distributions and parameter covariance. We find that an ensemble comprised of different time-invariant parameters (non-stochastic) exhibits little bias, but small spread. In addition, its behavior does not respect the time evolution of convection through its various phases. Stochastic parameter (SP) methods in which no inter-parameter covariance is applied produce greater spread, but significant bias. The bias is particularly large for lognormal parameter perturbation distributions. The ensemble spread is retained and the bias reduced when time-varying parameter covariance is applied. In this case, the SP scheme is able to adapt to the time and state-dependent covariance structures and produce ensemble characteristics that are consistent with the specific microphysical processes operating at any given time. The results suggest that SP schemes would benefit from inclusion of parameter covariances, and specifically those that vary with the state of the system. It also suggests that a Normal or LogNormal SP scheme with no covariance may significantly impact the ensemble bias. Finally, the results indicate that high temporal and spatial resolution observations may be needed to characterize the variability in parameter values and covariance.

Published
2022
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9. B-cell malignancies treated with targeted drugs and SARS-CoV-2 infection: A European Hematology Association Survey (EPICOVIDEHA)

Author

Infante, M. S., Salmanton-Garcia, J., Fernandez-Cruz, A., Marchesi, F., Jaksic, O., Weinbergerova, B., Besson, C., Duarte, R. F., Itri, F., Valkovic, T., Szotkovski, T., Busca, A., Guidetti, A., Glenthoj, A., Collins, G. P., Bonuomo, V., Sili, U., Seval, G. C., Machado, M., Cordoba, R., Blennow, O., Abu-Zeinah, G., Lamure, S., Kulasekararaj, A., Falces-Romero, I., Cattaneo, C., Van Doesum, J., Piukovics, K., Omrani, A. S., Magliano, G., Ledoux, M. -P., de Ramon, C., Cabirta, A., Verga, L., Lopez-Garcia, A., Da Silva, M. G., Stojanoski, Z., Meers, S., Lahmer, T., Martin-Perez, S., Davila-Vals, J., Van Praet, J., Samarkos, M., Bilgin, Y. M., Karlsson, L. K., Batinic, J., Nordlander, A., Schonlein, M., Hoenigl, M., Racil, Z., Mladenovic, M., Hanakova, M., Zambrotta, G. P. M., De Jonge, N., Adzic-Vukicevic, T., Nunes-Rodrigues, R., Prezioso, L., Navratil, M., Marchetti, M., Cuccaro, A., Calbacho, M., Giordano, A., Cornely, O. A., Hernandez-Rivas, J. -A., Pagano, Livio, Pagano L. (ORCID:0000-0001-8287-928X), Infante, M. S., Salmanton-Garcia, J., Fernandez-Cruz, A., Marchesi, F., Jaksic, O., Weinbergerova, B., Besson, C., Duarte, R. F., Itri, F., Valkovic, T., Szotkovski, T., Busca, A., Guidetti, A., Glenthoj, A., Collins, G. P., Bonuomo, V., Sili, U., Seval, G. C., Machado, M., Cordoba, R., Blennow, O., Abu-Zeinah, G., Lamure, S., Kulasekararaj, A., Falces-Romero, I., Cattaneo, C., Van Doesum, J., Piukovics, K., Omrani, A. S., Magliano, G., Ledoux, M. -P., de Ramon, C., Cabirta, A., Verga, L., Lopez-Garcia, A., Da Silva, M. G., Stojanoski, Z., Meers, S., Lahmer, T., Martin-Perez, S., Davila-Vals, J., Van Praet, J., Samarkos, M., Bilgin, Y. M., Karlsson, L. K., Batinic, J., Nordlander, A., Schonlein, M., Hoenigl, M., Racil, Z., Mladenovic, M., Hanakova, M., Zambrotta, G. P. M., De Jonge, N., Adzic-Vukicevic, T., Nunes-Rodrigues, R., Prezioso, L., Navratil, M., Marchetti, M., Cuccaro, A., Calbacho, M., Giordano, A., Cornely, O. A., Hernandez-Rivas, J. -A., Pagano, Livio, and Pagano L. (ORCID:0000-0001-8287-928X)

Abstract

Patients with lymphoproliferative diseases (LPD) are vulnerable to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Here, we describe and analyze the outcome of 366 adult patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) treated with targeted drugs and laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 diagnosed between February 2020 and January 2022. Median follow-up was 70.5 days (IQR 0-609). Most used targeted drugs were Bruton-kinase inhibitors (BKIs) (N= 201, 55%), anti-CD20 other than rituximab (N=61, 16%), BCL2 inhibitors (N=33, 9%) and lenalidomide (N=28, 8%).Only 16.2% of the patients were vaccinated with 2 or more doses of vaccine at the onset of COVID-19. Mortality was 24% (89/366) on day 30 and 36%(134/366) on the last day of follow-up. Age >75 years (p<0.001, HR 1.036), active malignancy (p<0.001, HR 2.215), severe COVID-19 (p=0.017, HR 2.270) and admission to ICU (p<0.001, HR 5.751) were risk factors for mortality at last day of follow up. There was no difference in OS rates in NHL vs CLL patients (p=0.306), nor in patients treated with or without BKIs (p=0.151). Mortality in ICU was 66% (CLL 61%, NHL 76%). Overall mortality rate decreased according to vaccination status, being 39% in unvaccinated patients, 32% and 26% in those having received one or two doses, respectively, and 20% in patients with a booster dose (p=0.245). Overall mortality rate dropped from 41% during the first semester of 2020 to 25% at the last semester of 2021. These results show increased severity and mortality from COVID-19 in LPDs patients treated with targeted drugs.

Published
2022

10. Simultaneous Onset of Haematological Malignancy and COVID: An Epicovideha Survey

Author

Cattaneo, C., Salmanton-Garcia, J., Marchesi, F., El-Ashwah, S., Itri, F., Weinbergerova, B., Gomes Da Silva, M., Dargenio, M., Davila-Valls, J., Martin-Perez, S., Farina, F., Van Doesum, J., Valkovic, T., Besson, C., Poulsen, C. B., Lopez-Garcia, A., Zak, P., Schonlein, M., Piukovics, K., Jaksic, O., Cabirta, A., Ali, N., Sili, U., Fracchiolla, N., Dragonetti, Giulia, Adzic-Vukicevic, T., Marchetti, M., Machado, M., Glenthoj, A., Finizio, O., Demirkan, F., Blennow, O., Tisi, M. C., Omrani, A. S., Navratil, M., Racil, Z., Novak, J., Magliano, G., Jimenez, M., Garcia-Vidal, C., Erben, N., Del Principe, M. I., Buquicchio, C., Bergantim, R., Batinic, J., Al-Khabori, M., Verga, L., Szotkowski, T., Samarkos, M., Ormazabal-Velez, I., Meers, S., Maertens, J., Pinczes, L. I., Hoenigl, M., Drgona, L., Cuccaro, A., Bilgin, Y. M., Aujayeb, A., Rahimli, L., Grafe, S., Sciume, M., Mladenovic, M., Colak, G. M., Sacchi, M. V., Nordlander, A., Berg Venemyr, C., Hanakova, M., Garcia-Pouton, N., Emarah, Z., Zambrotta, G. P. M., Nunes Rodrigues, R., Cordoba, R., Mendez, G. -A., Biernat, M. M., Cornely, O. A., Pagano, Livio, Dragonetti G., Pagano L. (ORCID:0000-0001-8287-928X), Cattaneo, C., Salmanton-Garcia, J., Marchesi, F., El-Ashwah, S., Itri, F., Weinbergerova, B., Gomes Da Silva, M., Dargenio, M., Davila-Valls, J., Martin-Perez, S., Farina, F., Van Doesum, J., Valkovic, T., Besson, C., Poulsen, C. B., Lopez-Garcia, A., Zak, P., Schonlein, M., Piukovics, K., Jaksic, O., Cabirta, A., Ali, N., Sili, U., Fracchiolla, N., Dragonetti, Giulia, Adzic-Vukicevic, T., Marchetti, M., Machado, M., Glenthoj, A., Finizio, O., Demirkan, F., Blennow, O., Tisi, M. C., Omrani, A. S., Navratil, M., Racil, Z., Novak, J., Magliano, G., Jimenez, M., Garcia-Vidal, C., Erben, N., Del Principe, M. I., Buquicchio, C., Bergantim, R., Batinic, J., Al-Khabori, M., Verga, L., Szotkowski, T., Samarkos, M., Ormazabal-Velez, I., Meers, S., Maertens, J., Pinczes, L. I., Hoenigl, M., Drgona, L., Cuccaro, A., Bilgin, Y. M., Aujayeb, A., Rahimli, L., Grafe, S., Sciume, M., Mladenovic, M., Colak, G. M., Sacchi, M. V., Nordlander, A., Berg Venemyr, C., Hanakova, M., Garcia-Pouton, N., Emarah, Z., Zambrotta, G. P. M., Nunes Rodrigues, R., Cordoba, R., Mendez, G. -A., Biernat, M. M., Cornely, O. A., Pagano, Livio, Dragonetti G., and Pagano L. (ORCID:0000-0001-8287-928X)

Abstract

Background: The outcome of patients with simultaneous diagnosis of haematological malignancies (HM) and COVID-19 is unknown and there are no specific treatment guidelines. Methods: We describe the clinical features and outcome of a cohort of 450 patients with simultaneous diagnosis of HM and COVID-19 registered in the EPICOVIDEHA registry between March 2020 to February 2022. Results: Acute leukaemia and lymphoma were the most frequent HM (35.8% and 35.1%, respectively). Overall, 343 (76.2%) patients received treatment for HM, which was delayed for longer than one month since diagnosis in 57 (16.6%). An overall response rate was observed in 140 (40.8%) patients after the first line of treatment. After a median follow-up of 35 days, overall mortality was 177/450 (39.3%); 30-day mortality was significantly higher in patients not receiving HM treatment (42.1%) than in those receiving treatment (27.4%, p = 0.004), either before and/or after COVID-19, or compared to patients receiving HM treatment at least after COVID-19 (15.2%, p < 0.001). Age, severe/critical COVID-19, ≥2 comorbidities, and lack of HM treatment were independent risk factors for mortality, whereas a lymphocyte count >500/mcl at COVID-19 onset was protective. Conclusions: HM treatment should be delivered as soon as possible for patients with simultaneous diagnosis of COVID-19 and HM requiring immediate therapy.

Published
2022

13. Tuberculosis and COVID-19 co-infection: description of the global cohort

Author

Migliori, G. B., Casco, N., Jorge, A. L., Palmero, D. J., Alffenaar, J. -W., Denholm, J., Fox, G. J., Ezz, W., Cho, J. -G., Skrahina, A., Solodovnikova, V., Bachez, P., Piubello, A., Arbex, M. A., Alves, T., Rabahi, M. F., Pereira, G. R., Sales, R., Silva, D. R., Saffie, M. M., Miranda, R. C., Cancino, V., Carbonell, M., Cisterna, C., Concha, C., Cruz, A., Salinas, N. E., Revillot, M. E., Valdes, J. F., Fernandez, I., Flores, X., Tapia, P. G., Garavagno, A., Vera, C. G., Bahamondes, M. H., Merino, L. M., Munoz, E., Munoz, C., Navarro, I., Subiabre, J. N., Ortega, C., Palma, S., Pradenas, A. M., Pereira, G., Castillo, P. P., Pinto, M., Pizarro, R., Bidegain, F. R., Rodriguez, P., Sanchez, C., Salinas, A. S., Soto, A., Taiba, C., Venegas, M., Riquelme, M. S. V., Vilca, E., Villalon, C., Yucra, E., Li, Y., Guelvez, B., Plaza, R. V., Hoyos, K. Y. T., Andrejak, C., Blanc, F. -X., Dourmane, S., Froissart, A., Izadifar, A., Riviere, F., Schlemmer, F., Manika, K., Diallo, B. D., Hassane-Harouna, S., Artiles, N., Mejia, L. A., Gupta, N., Ish, P., Mishra, G., Sharma, S., Singla, R., Udwadia, Z. F., Alladio, F., Angeli, F., Calcagno, A., Centis, R., Codecasa, L. R., D'Ambrosio, L., De Lauretis, A., Esposito, S., Formenti, B., Gaviraghi, A., Giacomet, V., Goletti, D., Gualano, G., Matteelli, A., Motta, I., Palmieri, F., Pontali, E., Prestileo, T., Riccardi, N., Saderi, L., Saporiti, M., Sotgiu, G., Stochino, C., Tadolini, M., Torre, A., Villa, S., Visca, D., Danila, E., Diktanas, S., Ridaura, R. L., Lopez, F. L. L., Torrico, M. M., Rendon, A., Akkerman, O. W., Souleymane, M. B., Al-Abri, S., Alyaquobi, F., Althohli, K., Aizpurua, E., Gonzales, R., Jurado, J., Loban, A., Aguirre, S., Teixeira, R. C., De Egea, V., Irala, S., Medina, A., Sequera, G., Sosa, N., Vazquez, F., Llanos-Tejada, F. K., Manga, S., Villanueva-Villegas, R., Araujo, D., Duarte, R., Marques, T. S., Grecu, V. I., Socaci, A., Barkanova, O., Bogorodskaya, M., Borisov, S., Mariandyshev, A., Kaluzhenina, A., Vukicevic, T. A., Stosic, M., Beh, D., Ng, D., Ong, C. W. M., Solovic, I., Dheda, K., Gina, P., Caminero, J. A., Cardoso-Landivar, J., De Souza Galvao, M. L., Dominguez-Castellano, A., Garcia-Garcia, J. -M., Pinargote, I. M., Fernandez, S. Q., Sanchez-Montalva, A., Huguet, E. T., Murguiondo, M. Z., Bart, P. -A., Mazza-Stalder, J., Bakko, F., Barnacle, J., Brown, A., Chandran, S., Killington, K., Man, K., Papineni, P., Tiberi, S., Utjesanovic, N., Zenner, D., Hearn, J. L., Heysell, S., and Young, L.

Subjects
Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine, Cohort Studies, Male, Coinfection, Humans, Prospective Studies, COVID-19, Tuberculosis, Original Research Article
Abstract

BackgroundInformation on tuberculosis (TB) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still limited. The aim of this study was to describe the features of the TB/COVID-19 co-infected individuals from a prospective, anonymised, multicountry register-based cohort with special focus on the determinants of mortality and other outcomes.MethodsWe enrolled all patients of any age with either active TB or previous TB and COVID-19. 172 centres from 34 countries provided individual data on 767 TB-COVID-19 co-infected patients, (>50% population-based).ResultsOf 767 patients, 553 (74.0%) out of 747 had TB before COVID-19 (including 234 out of 747 with previous TB), 71 (9.5%) out of 747 had COVID-19 first and 123 (16.5%) out of 747 had both diseases diagnosed within the same week (n=35 (4.6%) on the same day). 85 (11.08%) out of 767 patients died (41 (14.2%) out of 289 in Europe and 44 (9.2%) out of 478 outside Europe; p=0.03): 42 (49.4%) from COVID-19, 31 (36.5%) from COVID-19 and TB, one (1.2%) from TB and 11 from other causes. In the univariate analysis on mortality the following variables reached statistical significance: age, male gender, having more than one comorbidity, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, chronic renal disease, presence of key symptoms, invasive ventilation and hospitalisation due to COVID-19. The final multivariable logistic regression model included age, male gender and invasive ventilation as independent contributors to mortality.ConclusionThe data suggest that TB and COVID-19 are a “cursed duet” and need immediate attention. TB should be considered a risk factor for severe COVID disease and patients with TB should be prioritised for COVID-19 preventative efforts, including vaccination.

Published
2021

14. Impact of serum chitotriosidase activity on tuberculosis treatment response: single center study from Serbia.

Author

Adzic-Vukicevic T, Stosic M, Sumarac Z, Cvetkovic A, Markovic O, and Maric D

Subjects
Humans, Female, Male, Middle Aged, Adult, Aged, Longitudinal Studies, Serbia, Logistic Models, Treatment Outcome, Biomarkers blood, Multivariate Analysis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolation & purification, Hexosaminidases blood, Antitubercular Agents therapeutic use, Tuberculosis, Pulmonary drug therapy, Tuberculosis, Pulmonary blood, Sputum microbiology
Abstract

Background: The aim of our study was to investigate serum chitotriosidase level in tuberculosis patients, its relationship with microbiological and clinical parameters, and response to treatment., Materials and Methods: This longitudinal panel study included 149 patients with confirmed TB disease. Serum chitotriosidase activity was measured at the beginning and the end of treatment. Factors associated with chitotriosidase activity were explored using univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis., Results: Out of 149 study participants, 71(47.7%) were female. The mean age was 53.0 (SD = 18.2). Majority of cases were new 118(79.2), predominantly 145 (97.3%) having pulmonary tuberculosis. More than half of the patients were sputum smear positive 91 (61.1%) while culture positive in 146 (98%) of them. According to radiological findings, cavitary lesions were found in 92 (63.4%) patients. Anti TB treatment was associated with significant decrease in serum chitotriosidase level (< 0.001). New TB treatment (OR = 4.41%;95% CI = 1.20-9.89), and cavitary lesions (OR = 3.86;95%CI = 0,59-26.57) were found to be significantly associated with decrease of chitotriosidase activity., Conclusions: The results of our study showed that serum chitotriosidase values are strong biomarkers for starting anti TB treatment and for treatment monitoring, since decrease in serum chitotriosidase level can predict favorable treatment response in patients with tuberculosis. Further studies are needed to explore these, and other factors associated with chitotriosidase activity among tuberculosis patients., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Published
2024
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15. Factors associated with COVID-19 among hospitalized patients with severe acute respiratory infections in Serbia, 2022-2023: A test negative case-control study.

Author

Stosic M, Plavsa D, Jovanovic V, Veljkovic M, Babic D, Knezevic A, Saponjic V, Dimitrijevic D, Rancic M, Milic M, and Adzic-Vukicevic T

Subjects
Child, Humans, Case-Control Studies, SARS-CoV-2, Serbia epidemiology, COVID-19 Vaccines, COVID-19 epidemiology, Pneumonia
Abstract

Severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) are estimated to be the cause of death in about 19% of all children younger than 5 years globally. The outbreak of coronaviral disease (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2, increased considerably the burden of SARI worldwide. We used data from a vaccine effectiveness study to identify the factors associated with SARS CoV-2 infection among hospitalized SARI patients. We recruited SARI patients at 3 hospitals in Serbia from 7 April 2022-1 May 2023. We collected demographic and clinical data from patients using a structured questionnaire, and all SARI patients were tested for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR. We conducted an unmatched test negative case-control study. SARS-CoV-2 infected SARI patients were considered cases, while SARS CoV-2 negative SARI patients were controls. We conducted bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis in order to identify variables associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. We included 110 SARI patients: 74 were cases and 36 controls. We identified 5 factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 positivity, age (OR  =  1.04; 95% CI  =  1.01-1.07), having received primary COVID-19 vaccine series (OR  =  0.28; 95% CI  =  0.09-0.88), current smoking (OR  =  8.64; 95% CI  =  2.43-30.72), previous SARS CoV-2 infection (OR  =  3.48; 95% CI  =  1.50-8.11) and number of days before seeking medical help (OR  =  0.81; 95% CI  =  0.64-1.02). In Serbia during a period of Omicron circulation, we found that older age, unvaccinated, hospitalized SARI patients, previously infected with SARS CoV-2 virus and those who smoked, were more likely to be SARS-CoV-2-positive; these patient populations should be prioritized for COVID vaccination., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Stosic et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Published
2024
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16. Gastrointestinal and Hepatological Manifestations in Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection: Results from the Major COVID Hospital in Serbia.

Author

Mijac D, Vucelj S, Todorovic K, Vojnovic M, Milicic B, Lukic S, Filipovic B, Marjanovic Haljilji M, Popovic D, and Adzic Vukicevic T

Abstract

The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2), includes a clinical spectrum of diseases from mild to severe progressive pneumonia, which has affected and still affects the human population worldwide. Most commonly, it is presented by respiratory symptoms, but studies have shown that about 50% of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection have at least one gastrointestinal symptom (GI), predominantly nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, or loss of appetite. In addition, abnormal liver functional tests are commonly present in the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The aim of our study was to examine the GI and hepatic manifestations of COVID-19 in patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 pneumonia in "COVID hospital Batajnica", University Clinical Center of Serbia in Belgrade. The study included 498 consecutive patients, and the data was obtained from the patient's electronic medical history. GI symptoms included nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and anorexia. Collected laboratory values included baseline and peak values of blood count, inflammatory parameters, liver function tests, renal function tests, and cardiac enzyme tests. The results have shown that GI symptoms occurred in 26% of cases at diagnosis, which indicates the great susceptibility of the GI system to SARS-CoV-2. There was a high risk of liver injury in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia (>60%). The level of AST is more often increased compared to ALT, which is different from other virus-induced liver lesions and may be a useful indicator of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Further research should focus on the causes of liver damage in SARS-CoV-2 virus and the impact on treatment and outcome of COVID-19 disease.

Published
2023
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17. What did we learn about tocilizumab use against COVID-19? A single-center observational study from an intensive care unit in Serbia.

Author

Adzic-Vukicevic T, Markovic D, Reljic A, and Brkovic V

Abstract

Background: Selection of effective and safe therapy for management of patients with coronavirus disease is challenging. Tocilizumab (TZB) has emerged as a potential treatment option for COVID-19. Several aspects regarding Tocilizumab treatment remain uncertain, such as the optimal timing for its administration and the safety profile, including the potential risk of infections. The aim of the study is to present the clinical characteristics of patients with COVID-19 following the application of Tocilizumab., Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of 121 patients with severe forms of COVID-19 previously treated with Tocilizumab was conducted. All patients were admitted to intensive care units (ICUs)., Results: Of 121 patients, the majority were men 72 (59.5%) with a median age at presentation of 65 ± 13 years. Only 9 (7.43%) patients were without comorbidities, while the other 112 (92.55%) had two or more comorbidities. Almost all of the 120 patients (99.2%) needed oxygen therapy, such as nasal cannulas in 110 (90.9%) patients, high flow nasal catheter (HFNC) in 4 (3.3%) patients, and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in 5 (4.1%) patients while 1 patient was intubated at the time of hospital admission. The average time from Tocilizumab application to admission to the ICU was 3 days. During clinical deterioration, almost half 57 (47.1%) of the patients were intubated, and 52 (82.5%) of these intubated patients ( p  < 0.001) had lethal outcomes. The most significant predictors for a lethal outcome according to multivariate analysis were diabetes mellitus ( p  < 0.001) followed by a subsequent elevation in C-reactive protein levels (CRP; p  < 0.002) and ferritin ( p  < 0.013) after Tocilizumab application. Bloodstream infections were found in 20 (16.5%) patients, most frequently with Gram-negative pathogens like Acinetobacter spp. as in 12 (18.6%) patients, Klebsiella spp. in 6 (8%) patients, and Pseudomonas spp. in 2 (3.2%) patients. Urine culture isolates were found in 9 (7.43%) patients, with Candida spp. being most frequently isolated in 7 (5.8%) patients, followed by Klebsiella spp. and Pseudomonas spp. in 1 patient each (0.8%). Significantly lower survival was seen in patients with proven infection., Conclusion: The benefit of tocilizumab was not found in our study. The high mortality rate among intubated patients after Tocilizumab use suggests appropriate patient selection and monitoring and emphasizes the risk of superinfections. Diabetes mellitus, increased levels of CRP, and ferritin were identified as the most significant predictors of poor outcomes in contrast to increased levels of IL-6., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Adzic-Vukicevic, Markovic, Reljic and Brkovic.)

Published
2023
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18. Invasive fungal disease in COVID-19 patients: a single-center prospective observational study.

Author

Adzic-Vukicevic T, Mladenovic M, Jovanovic S, Soldatović I, and Radovanovic-Spurnic A

Abstract

Background: Invasive fungal diseases (IFDs) are caused by fungal infections that manifest as serious secondary infections in patients with COVID-19. The increased morbidity and mortality rates are most frequently observed in patients with COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) and COVID-19-associated candidiasis (CAC). CAPA is the most frequently encountered infection with an incidence rate of 0.7-7.7%, while CAC is a less common and less studied fungal infection in COVID-19 patients., Materials and Methods: The present article is a prospective observational single-center study that was conducted between 1 September 2021 and 24 December 2021, involving 6,335 patients who were admitted to COVID Hospital "Batajnica," University Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade., Results: Of the 6,335 patients hospitalized during the four-month period of the study, 120 patients (1.86%) who had a proven diagnosis of IFD were included in the study. These patients were divided into two groups: CAPA patients ( n  = 63) and CAC patients ( n  = 56); however, one of the 120 patients was diagnosed with Cryptoccocus neoformans infection. The mean age of the study population was 65.7 ± 13.9 years, and 78 (65.5%) of them were men. The patients were identified to have the following non-malignant comorbidities: arterial hypertension in 62 (52.1%) patients, diabetes mellitus in 34 (28.65), pre-existing lung damage similar to that observed in COPD and asthma in 20 (16.8%), and chronic renal insufficiency in 13 (10.9%) patients. The hematological malignancies were found to be the most prevalent malignancies and were identified in 20 (16.8%) patients, particularly in CAPA patients [11 (17.5%); p  < 0.041]. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and microscopic examination confirmed the presence of fungal infections in 17 (14.3%) patients. Serology testing was also performed in the majority of cases. Antibodies against Aspergillus spp. and Candida spp. were predominantly found in CAPA patients ( p  < 0.001). The patients were also tested for the presence of (1-3)-β-D glucan ( p  < 0.019), galactomannan, and mannan in the specimens. Blood cultures were found to be positive in 45 (37.8%) patients, mostly in CAC patients. Mechanical ventilation was applied in 41 (34.5%) patients, while a non-invasive technique, such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC), was used in 20 (16.8%) patients. The following antifungals were administered: echinocandins in 42 (35.3%), voriconazole in 30 (25.2%), and fluconazole in 27 (22.7%) patients. Most of the patients received systemic corticosteroids (mainly methylprednisolone), while 11 (9.16%) received favipiravir, 32 (26.67%) remdesivir, 8 (6.67%) casirivimab/imdevimab, and 5 (4.16%) sotrovimab. The outcome was lethal in 76 (63.9%) patients, predominantly CAC patients ( p  < 0.001)., Conclusion: Invasive fungal disease is a severe complication associated with COVID-19 and accounts for increased mortality in these patients. Early identification and appropriate treatment may provide a favorable outcome., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Adzic-Vukicevic, Mladenovic, Jovanovic, Soldatović and Radovanovic-Spurnic.)

Published
2023
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19. Nebulised interferon-β1a (SNG001) in hospitalised COVID-19: SPRINTER phase III study.

Author

Monk PD, Brookes JL, Tear VJ, Batten TN, Mankowski M, Adzic-Vukicevic T, Crooks MG, Dosanjh DPS, Kraft M, Brightling CE, Gabbay FJ, Holgate ST, Djukanovic R, and Wilkinson TMA

Abstract

Background: Despite the availability of vaccines and therapies, patients are being hospitalised with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Interferon (IFN)-β is a naturally occurring protein that stimulates host immune responses against most viruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. SNG001 is a recombinant IFN-β1a formulation delivered to the lungs via nebuliser. SPRINTER assessed the efficacy and safety of SNG001 in adults hospitalised due to COVID-19 who required oxygen via nasal prongs or mask., Methods: Patients were randomised double-blind to SNG001 (n=309) or placebo (n=314) once daily for 14 days plus standard of care (SoC). The primary objective was to evaluate recovery after administration of SNG001 versus placebo, in terms of times to hospital discharge and recovery to no limitation of activity. Key secondary end-points were progression to severe disease or death, progression to intubation or death and death., Results: Median time to hospital discharge was 7.0 and 8.0 days with SNG001 and placebo, respectively (hazard ratio (HR) 1.06 (95% CI 0.89-1.27); p=0.51); time to recovery was 25.0 days in both groups (HR 1.02 (95% CI 0.81-1.28); p=0.89). There were no significant SNG001-placebo differences for the key secondary end-points, with a 25.7% relative risk reduction in progression to severe disease or death (10.7% and 14.4%, respectively; OR 0.71 (95% CI 0.44-1.15); p=0.161). Serious adverse events were reported by 12.6% and 18.2% patients with SNG001 and placebo, respectively., Conclusions: Although the primary objective of the study was not met, SNG001 had a favourable safety profile, and the key secondary end-points analysis suggested that SNG001 may have prevented progression to severe disease., Competing Interests: This study is registered at the ISRCTN registry with identifier number ISRCTN85436698. The data analysed and presented in this study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request, providing the request meets local ethical and research governance criteria after publication. Patient-level data will be anonymised and study documents will be redacted to protect the privacy of trial participants. Conflict of interest: In addition to the writing support declared above, the authors have the following conflicts of interest to declare. P.D. Monk is an employee of Synairgen Research plc, the parent company of Synairgen Research Ltd (and such costs are met by Synairgen Research Ltd), the sponsor of this trial, and owns shares and has options on shares in Synairgen plc. J.L. Brookes is an employee of Synairgen Research Ltd, the sponsor of this trial, and has options on shares in Synairgen plc. V.J. Tear is an employee of Synairgen Research Ltd, the sponsor of this trial, and owns shares and has options on shares in Synairgen plc. T.N. Batten provided statistical support, programming and consultancy to Synairgen Research Ltd via a contract with his employer, Veramed Ltd. M. Mankowski provided consulting services to Synairgen Research Ltd, the sponsor of this trial, with all payments made to tranScrip Ltd. T. Adzic-Vukicevic has no other conflicts of interest to disclose. M.G. Crooks has no other conflicts of interest to disclose. D.P.S. Dosanjh declares grants from GlaxoSmithKline (Supported Studies Programme) and Birmingham Health Partners CARP Fellowship, honorarium for meeting and podcast from Boehringer Ingelheim, support to attend congresses from Boehringer Ingelheim (no payment received), patent 0406271.7, filed 21 March 2005 (Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection diagnostic text), and participation in a data safety monitoring board or advisory board from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim and the HAP-FAST trial, all outside the scope of this manuscript. M. Kraft declares the receipt of funding to her institution from Synairgen Research Ltd, the sponsor of this trial. Outside the scope of the trial she declares funds paid to her institution from the National Institutes of Health, American Lung Association, Sanofi-Regeneron and AstraZeneca, consulting fees from AstraZeneca, Sanofi-Regeneron and Genentech, one patent issued and one pending for which she received no funds directly (she is Chief Medical Officer and Co-founder of RaeSedo, Inc.), funds for the participation in a data safety monitoring board for the ALUND Study, funds for a leadership role of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Scientific Advisory Council (NIH), and the future receipt of stock options in RaeSedo, Inc. C.E. Brightling declares grants and consulting fees paid to his institution from GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, Chiesi, Genentech, Roche, Sanofi, Regeneron, Mologic and 4DPharma, all outside the scope of this manuscript. F.J. Gabbay declares the receipt of consulting fees paid to tranScrip Ltd from Synairgen Research plc, the sponsor of this trial, and participation in a data safety monitoring board for Synairgen. She is also president of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine of the UK Royal College of Physicians. S.T. Holgate received payments as nonexecutive director of, and owns shares in, Synairgen plc, the parent company of the sponsor of this trial. R. Djukanovic declares the receipt of consulting fees and payment for participation in a data safety monitoring board or advisory board from Synairgen Research Ltd, the sponsor of this trial; and owns shares in Synairgen plc, the parent company of the sponsor of this trial. Outside the trial, he declares payment or honoraria from Regeneron, GlaxoSmithKline and Kymab. T.M.A. Wilkinson received research funding and consultancy fees from Synairgen Research Ltd, the sponsor of this trial. Outside the trial, he declares research grants from the National Institute for Health and Care Research, Medical Research Council, Bergenbio, AstraZeneca, UCB and Janssen, consultancy fees from AstraZeneca, Valneva, Olam Pharma, Janssen and My mHealth, lecture fees from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim and Roche, participation on a data safety monitoring board for Valneva, and that he holds stock in My mHealth., (Copyright ©The authors 2023.)

Published
2023
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20. Tuberculosis and COVID-19 co-infection in Serbia: Pandemic challenge in a low-burden country.

Author

Adzic-Vukicevic T, Stosic M, Antonijevic G, Jevtic M, Radovanovic-Spurnic A, and Velickovic J

Abstract

Introduction: COVID-19 and tuberculosis (TB) represent global threats to the public health system. The impact of COVID-19 on TB results in a reduction in the number of notified TB cases, delayed diagnosis and treatment, and increased case fatality and mortality rates. The aim of the study was to analyze the TB/COVID-19 co-infected cohort in Serbia as a low-burden country and compare it to the global TB/COVID-19 cohort., Methods: A retrospective analysis was done on 53 TB and COVID-19 co-infected patients treated in COVID hospital "Batajnica" in Belgrade and Special Hospital for Pulmonary Diseases "Ozren" Sokobanja in the period from 6 March 2020 to 1 April 2022. A comparative analysis with the global cohort published recently was also performed., Results: TB/COVID-19 cohort in Serbia included significantly fewer migrants and diabetes cases, but more cases with chronic respiratory diseases compared to the global. Descriptive analysis of TB cases in the Serbian TB/COVID-19 cohort showed fewer cases diagnosed with sputum smear and Gene Xpert/HAIN, fewer EPTB and mono-resistant cases, and more cases diagnosed with solid culture, unilateral pulmonary infiltrate (with bilateral cavity lesions), and bilateral pulmonary infiltrate (no cavities) compared to TB/COVID-19 cases worldwide. Nasal congestion and fever were more common COVID-19 symptoms in the global cohort. Radiology was more commonly used for the diagnosis of COVID-19 in Serbia. Typical bilateral ground opacities were less common among Serbian patients. Serbian patients spent fewer days in the hospital and achieved a higher PCR conversion rate and TB treatment success rate., Conclusion: The Serbian TB/COVID-19 cohort achieved a higher treatment success rate compared to the global cohort. Encouraging vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 for people with a current or past TB disease, as well as rapid diagnosis and targeted treatment of TB in highly specialized pulmonology institutions, presents key points to avoid excessive morbidity and mortality., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Adzic-Vukicevic, Stosic, Antonijevic, Jevtic, Radovanovic-Spurnic and Velickovic.)

Published
2022
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21. Fatal invasive candidiasis in COVID-19 patient with severe bleeding and extensively drug-resistant Klebsiella enterobacter.

Author

Adzic-Vukicevic T, Velickovic J, Radovanovic-Spurnic A, Velickovic D, Milenkovic S, Petrovic F, Micic J, and Dragutinovic N

Subjects
Candidiasis, Hemorrhage, Humans, Klebsiella, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 complications, Candidiasis, Invasive drug therapy
Abstract

Introduction: Multi-organ dysfunction caused by thromboembolic complications may complicate the course of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Most patients require anticoagulant therapy which predisposes them to the development of hemorrhagic syndrome. In critically ill COVID-19 patients secondary infections due to opportunistic pathogens are associated with a high mortality rate., Case Report: Herein, we present a COVID-19 patient with severe hemorrhage at unusual sites complicated with invasive candidiasis and an extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strain of Klebsiella enterobacter., Conclusions: Clinicians should be aware of the possibility for invasive fungal infections in severely ill patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection due to pre-existing conditions, risk factors, and COVID-19 associated pathological mechanisms. Management of invasive candidiasis is challenging because of the high prevalence of comorbidities, risk of toxicities, and drug interactions., Competing Interests: No Conflict of Interest is declared, (Copyright (c) 2022 Tatjana Adzic-Vukicevic, Jelena Velickovic, Aleksandra Radovanovic-Spurnic, Dejan Velickovic, Sara Milenkovic, Filip Petrovic, Jelena Micic, Natasa Dragutinovic.)

Published
2022
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22. Successful Immunomodulatory Treatment of COVID-19 in a Patient With Severe ACTH-Dependent Cushing's Syndrome: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

Author

Popovic B, Radovanovic Spurnic A, Velickovic J, Plavsic A, Jecmenica-Lukic M, Glisic T, Ilic D, Jeremic D, Vratonjic J, Samardzic V, Gluvic Z, and Adzic-Vukicevic T

Subjects
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone, Aged, Female, Humans, Immunoglobulins, Intravenous therapeutic use, Pandemics, COVID-19 complications, Cushing Syndrome complications, Cushing Syndrome diagnosis, Cushing Syndrome drug therapy, COVID-19 Drug Treatment
Abstract

Introduction: Patients with Cushing's syndrome (CS) represent a highly sensitive group during corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The effect of multiple comorbidities and immune system supression make the clinical picture complicated and treatment challenging., Case Report: A 70-year-old female was admitted to a covid hospital with a severe form of COVID-19 pneumonia that required oxygen supplementation. Prior to her admission to the hospital she was diagnosed with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-dependent CS, and the treatment of hypercortisolism had not been started yet. Since the patient's condition was quickly deteriorating, and with presumend immmune system supression due to CS, we decided on treatement with intraveonus immunoglobulins (IVIg) that enabled quick onset of immunomodulatory effect. All comorbidities were treated with standard of care. The patient's condition quickly stabilized with no direct side effects of a given treatment., Conclusion: Treatment of COVID-19 in patients with CS faces many challenges due to the complexity of comorbidity effects, immunosupression and potential interactions of available medications both for treatment of COVID-19 and CS. So far, there are no guidelines for treatment of COVID-19 in patients with active CS. It is our opinion that immunomodulating therapies like IVIg might be an effective and safe treatment modality in this particularly fragile group of patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Popovic, Radovanovic Spurnic, Velickovic, Plavsic, Jecmenica-Lukic, Glisic, Ilic, Jeremic, Vratonjic, Samardzic, Gluvic and Adzic-Vukicevic.)

Published
2022
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23. Coronavirus disease 2019 in patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenia on thrombopoietin receptor agonists: new perspectives and old challenges.

Author

Pantic N, Suvajdzic-Vukovic N, Virijevic M, Pravdic Z, Sabljic N, Adzic-Vukicevic T, and Mitrovic M

Subjects
Humans, Receptors, Thrombopoietin, Retrospective Studies, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic
Abstract

There are limited data on the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 infection in patients previously diagnosed with primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) on thrombopoietin receptor agonist therapy (TPO-RA). Seven chronic ITP patients who had contracted COVID-19 and had been treated with TPO-RA are included in the study. Demographic, ITP treatment and comorbidities data were collected retrospectively from patients' medical records. Data regarding clinical course of COVID-19 were collected prospectively. During the infection, all patients had platelet count higher than average, and platelet count peak was mainly observed on day 7. For that reason, therapy modification was required. However, platelet count increment was transient in most ITP patients. One patient developed pulmonary embolism despite the use of therapeutic dose of anticoagulants. One patient died of respiratory failure whereas another developed rebound thrombocytopenia after the infection and consequential intracerebral hemorrhage. Careful platelet count monitoring and therapy management are needed in chronic ITP patients on TPO-RAs with COVID-19., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Published
2022
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24. Impact of the bronchopulmonary sequestration on endobronchial tuberculosis: the case report and the review of literature.

Author

Adzic-Vukicevic T, Petkovic A, Menkovic N, Stosic M, Bracanovic M, Korica S, and Barac A

Subjects
Adult, Bronchopulmonary Sequestration diagnostic imaging, Bronchopulmonary Sequestration pathology, Delayed Diagnosis, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Recurrence, Tomography, X-Ray Computed, Tuberculosis, Pulmonary diagnostic imaging, Tuberculosis, Pulmonary pathology, Young Adult, Bronchopulmonary Sequestration complications, Tuberculosis, Pulmonary complications
Abstract

Introduction: We describe the rare case of endobronchial tuberculosis (EBTB) and chronic pulmonary atelectasis with mediastinal distortion. Finding of the concomitant venous anomaly of inferior vena cava revealed the diagnosis of bronchopulmonary sequestration., Case Report: A 22-year-old Caucasian woman presented with a history of chronic cough, initially treated as bronchial asthma for a year. Chest X-ray showed fibrocaseous cavernous tuberculosis on the right lung. Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB) were found in sputum samples. Patient was treated for 6 months with usual antituberculous regiment. Control chest X-ray showed subatelectasis of the upper right lobe. Six months later the first thorax computed tomography (CT) showed complete atelectasis of the right lung. Patient was admitted to the hospital again after 6 years due to the persistent fever and cough. Endoscopic finding and histopathological analysis confirmed EBTB. Thoracic CT scan revealed duplication of inferior vena cava which led to profound vascular analysis and aberrant arterial vascularization of aortic origin that contributed to the diagnosis of bronchopulmonary sequestrations. Antituberculous treatment was initiated (streptomycin, isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol and pyrazinamide) and lasted for 8 months. After 8 months a follow-up fiberoptic bronchoscopy showed the progression of endoscopic finding with 60-70% tracheal stenosis. Histopathological finding of the mid-trachea showed non-specific granulations. During 7 years of follow-up repeated bronchoscopy and thoracic CT scans were unchanged and patient was well-shaped., Conclusions: The clinician should consider bronchopulmonary sequestration in the cases of recurrent EBTB., Competing Interests: No Conflict of Interest is declared, (Copyright (c) 2021 Tatjana Adzic-Vukicevic, Ana Petkovic, Nemanja Menkovic, Maja Stosic, Milos Bracanovic, Stefan Korica, Aleksandra Barac.)

Published
2021
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