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Abstract Objectives Colchicine is a well-known drug, which has been used for years to treat a wide range of rheumatic and inflammatory disorders. It helps break the cycle of inflammation through diverse mechanisms including reducing Intereukin-6, Interleukin-8, Tumour Necrosis Factor-alpha besides controlling oxidative stress pathways which all are important and pathologic components in the clinical course and outcome of patients infected with COVID-19. This study aims to assess the anti-inflammatory effects of colchicine in non-severe hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Trial design Prospective, randomized (1:1 ratio), double blind study with parallel group design. Participants Hospitalized patients with positive nasopharyngeal swab for COVID-19 infection (RT -PCR) and lung Computed tomography scan involvement compatible with COVID-19 pneumonia. The patients are not severely hypoxic, do not need intubation or invasive oxygenation. Exclusion criteria: known hypersensitivity to colchicine; known hepatic failure; estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)450 msec. Participants will be recruited from inpatients at Labbafinejad Meidcal Center , Tehran, Iran. Intervention and comparator Eligible enrolled patients will be randomized into two groups. Group A will receive the antiretroviral Lopinavir/Ritonavir (Kaletra) while group B will receive Lopinavir/Ritonavir (Kaletra) + Colchicine 1.5 mg loading then 0.5 mg twice daily orally. All patients in both groups will receive the same amounts of essential minerals, vitamins as antioxidants, and antibiotics. Patients of both groups will be treated under optimal treatment based on the CDC and WHO guidelines and national consensus proposed in Iran including the same dosages of Lopinavir/Ritonavir, antibiotics, trace elements and antioxidants while only in group-B patients Colchicine will be added on top of this protocol. Main outcomes Primary: Time for clinical improvement and lung CT score changes 14 days after treatment. Secondary: 14 days after treatment – C-Reactive Protein test x Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio , Interleukin-6, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels reduction – Percentage of patients who require supplemental Oxygen – Mean hospital stay length Randomisation Patients will be allocated to each group (ratio 1:1) by using an online randomization tool: http://www.graphpad.com/quickcalcs/index.cfm Blinding (masking) This will be a double-blind study in which participants and those assessing the final outcomes will be blinded to group assignment. Numbers to be randomised (sample size) Regarding the pandemic crisis and our center capacity to hospitalize confirmed COVID-19 patients, a total of 80 patients was found to be logical to be randomized into two groups of 40- patients. Trial Status Recruitment is ongoing. Recruitment began on 20/03/2020 and the date by which the recruitment is anticipated to be completed is 30/05/2020. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04360980, registered 24/04/2020. Full protocol The full protocol is attached as an additional file, accessible from the Trials website (Additional file 1). In the interest in expediting dissemination of this material, the familiar formatting has been eliminated; this Letter serves as a summary of the key elements of the full protocol.

Introduction: Identification of latent tuberculosis (TB) infection is important in kidney transplant candidates. Due to the absence of a gold standard, both tuberculin skin test (TST) and interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA) are used to screen patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the agreement of these two tests in patients undergoing renal transplantation. Materials and Methods: Two hundred kidney transplant candidates at a referral center in 2014–2017 were included in this study. TST and Quantiferon-Gold (QFT-G) tests were performed for all patients before transplantation. In case of a positive result in any of the tests, patients were administered a 9-month prophylaxis treatment using isoniazid. Cohen's kappa coefficient (k) test was used to determine the agreement between the two tests. Results: The mean age of patients was 40.72 ± 18.33. Nine (4.5%) patients had positive TST and 16 (8%) had positive IGRA. Concordance of the two tests was evaluated as medium (κ = 0.44 and P < 0.001). No association was found between the underlying causes of renal failure and skin test positive or IGRA. The tests showed a poor agreement among diabetics, candidates of re-transplantation, and those who were on dialysis for longer than a year (κ < 0.20). Conclusion: TST or IGRA can be used to screen TB in kidney transplant candidates with a moderate agreement. However, we suggest using both TST and QFT-G in diabetics, re-transplant candidates, and those on dialysis for >1 year.