Georgina Arrambide, Ingrid van der Mei, Raed Alroughani, Lars Forsberg, Rodden M. Middleton, Guilherme Sciascia do Olival, Nikola Lazovski, Rumen Ivanov, Alexander Stahmann, Tomas Kalincik, Helmut Butzkueven, Richard S. Nicholas, J. Hillert, Alice Estavo Dias, Edward De Brouwer, Amber Salter, Serkan Ozakbas, Nupur Nag, Doralina Guimarães Brum, Alexander Fidao, Anna Zabalza, Yves Moreau, Ricardo Alonso, Anneke Van Der Walt, Nick Rijke, Lotte Geys, Anibal Chertcoff, Arnfin Bergmann, Robert N. McBurney, Clare Walton, Anna Glaser, Tina Parciak, Gilles Edan, Clément Gautrais, Ashkan Pirmani, Maria Fernanda Mendes, Juan Ignacio Rojas, Melinda Magyari, Liesbet M. Peeters, Robert J. Fox, Hollie Schmidt, Amin Ardeshirdavanai, Steve Simpson-Yap, Stefan Braune, Giancarlo Comi, Johana Bauer, Tim Spelman, Zabalza, Ana/0000-0003-3860-5251, Simpson, Jr., Steve/0000-0001-6521-3056, Kalincik, Tomas/0000-0003-3778-1376, Simpson-Yap, Steve, DE BROUWER, Edward, Kalincik, Tomas, Rijke, Nick, Hillert, Jan A., Walton, Clare, Edan, Gilles, Moreau, Yves, Spelman, Tim, GEYS, Lotte, PARCIAK, Tina, Gautrais, Clement, Lazovski, Nikola, PIRMANI, Ashkan, Ardeshirdavanai, Amin, Forsberg, Lars, Glaser, Anna, McBurney, Robert, Schmidt, Hollie, Bergmann, Arnfin B., Braune, Stefan, Stahmann, Alexander, Middleton, Rodden, Salter, Amber, Fox, Robert J., van der Walt, Anneke, Butzkueven, Helmut, Alroughani, Raed, Ozakbas, Serkan, Rojas, Juan, I, van der Mei, Ingrid, Nag, Nupur, Ivanov, Rumen, do Olival, Guilherme Sciascia, Dias, Alice Estavo, Magyari, Melinda, Brum, Doralina, Mendes, Maria Fernanda, Alonso, Ricardo N., Nicholas, Richard S., Bauer, Johana, Chertcoff, Anibal Sebastian, Zabalza, Anna, Arrambide, Georgina, Fidao, Alexander, Comi, Giancarlo, PEETERS, Liesbet, Institut Català de la Salut, [Simpson-Yap S] Department of Medicine, and Neuroepidemiology Unit, Melbourne School of Population & Global Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia. Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia [De Brouwer E] University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia. ESAT-STADIUS, KU Leuven, Belgium. [Kalincik T] Department of Neurology, Melbourne MS Centre, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Australia. [Rijke N, Walton C] MS International Federation, London, UK. [Hillert JA] Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Swedish MS Registry, Stockholm, Sweden. [Zabalza A, Arrambide G] Servei de Neurologia-Neuroimmunologia, Centre d'Esclerosi Múltiple de Catalunya (CEMCAT), Barcelona, Spain. Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain. Vall d’Hebron Hospital Universitari, Barcelona, Spain. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain, Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, and Neuroepidemiology Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Tasmania, KU Leuven, Royal Melbourne Hospital, MS International Federation, Swedish MS Registry, CHU Pontchaillou, Karolinska Institutet, Hasselt University, University Medical Center, QMENTA, Molecular Unit, Accelerated Cure Project for MS, NeuroTransData, MS Forschungs- und Projektentwicklungs-gGmbH, Swansea University, COViMS, Washington University in St. Louis, Cleveland Clinic, Monash University, Kuwait City, Dokuz Eylul University, Hospital Universitario de CEMIC, RELACOEM, Bulgarian SmartMS COVID-19 Dataset, ABEM-Brazilian MS Patients Association, University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), REDONE.br-Brazilian Registry of Multiple Sclerosis and Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders, Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, Ramos Mejia Hospital-EMA, Imperial College, Mental Health Area, EMA, Cemcat, Vall d'Hebron Hospital Universitari, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, and Ospedale San Raffaele
Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-28T19:46:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-11-09 Background and ObjectivesPeople with multiple sclerosis MS are a vulnerable group for severe coronavirus disease 2019 COVID-19, particularly those taking immunosuppressive disease-modifying therapies DMTs. We examined the characteristics of COVID-19 severity in an international sample of people with MS.MethodsData from 12 data sources in 28 countries were aggregated sources could include patients from 1-12 countries. Demographic age, sex, clinical MS phenotype, disability, and DMT untreated, alemtuzumab, cladribine, dimethyl fumarate, glatiramer acetate, interferon, natalizumab, ocrelizumab, rituximab, siponimod, other DMTs covariates were queried, along with COVID-19 severity outcomes, hospitalization, intensive care unit ICU admission, need for artificial ventilation, and death. Characteristics of outcomes were assessed in patients with suspected/confirmed COVID-19 using multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, MS phenotype, and Expanded Disability Status Scale EDSS score.ResultsSix hundred fifty-seven 28.1% with suspected and 1,683 61.9% with confirmed COVID-19 were analyzed. Among suspected plus confirmed and confirmed-only COVID-19, 20.9% and 26.9% were hospitalized, 5.4% and 7.2% were admitted to ICU, 4.1% and 5.4% required artificial ventilation, and 3.2% and 3.9% died. Older age, progressive MS phenotype, and higher disability were associated with worse COVID-19 outcomes. Compared to dimethyl fumarate, ocrelizumab and rituximab were associated with hospitalization adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-2.41; aOR 2.43, 95% CI 1.48-4.02 and ICU admission aOR 2.30, 95% CI 0.98-5.39; aOR 3.93, 95% CI 1.56-9.89, although only rituximab was associated with higher risk of artificial ventilation aOR 4.00, 95% CI 1.54-10.39. Compared to pooled other DMTs, ocrelizumab and rituximab were associated with hospitalization aOR 1.75, 95% CI 1.29-2.38; aOR 2.76, 95% CI 1.87-4.07 and ICU admission aOR 2.55, 95% CI 1.49-4.36; aOR 4.32, 95% CI 2.27-8.23, but only rituximab was associated with artificial ventilation aOR 6.15, 95% CI 3.09-12.27. Compared to natalizumab, ocrelizumab and rituximab were associated with hospitalization aOR 1.86, 95% CI 1.13-3.07; aOR 2.88, 95% CI 1.68-4.92 and ICU admission aOR 2.13, 95% CI 0.85-5.35; aOR 3.23, 95% CI 1.17-8.91, but only rituximab was associated with ventilation aOR 5.52, 95% CI 1.71-17.84. Associations persisted on restriction to confirmed COVID-19 cases. No associations were observed between DMTs and death. Stratification by age, MS phenotype, and EDSS score found no indications that DMT associations with COVID-19 severity reflected differential DMT allocation by underlying COVID-19 severity.DiscussionUsing the largest cohort of people with MS and COVID-19 available, we demonstrated consistent associations of rituximab with increased risk of hospitalization, ICU admission, and need for artificial ventilation and of ocrelizumab with hospitalization and ICU admission. Despite the cross-sectional design of the study, the internal and external consistency of these results with prior studies suggests that rituximab/ocrelizumab use may be a risk factor for more severe COVID-19. CORe Department of Medicine and Neuroepidemiology Unit Melbourne School of Population and Global Health Menzies Institute for Medical Research University of Tasmania ESAT-STADIUS KU Leuven Department of Neurology Melbourne MS Centre Royal Melbourne Hospital MS International Federation Department of Clinical Neuroscience Swedish MS Registry Department of Neurology CHU Pontchaillou Karolinska Institutet Biomedical Research Institute-Data Science Institute Hasselt University Department of Medical Informatics University Medical Center Department of Computer Science and AI KU Leuven QMENTA Medpace Reference Laboratories Molecular Unit IConquerMS People-Powered Research Network Accelerated Cure Project for MS NeuroTransData Study Group NeuroTransData German MS-Register by the National MS Society MS Forschungs- und Projektentwicklungs-gGmbH MS Register Swansea University COViMS Division of Biostatistics Washington University in St. Louis Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Cleveland Clinic Department of Neuroscience Central Clinical School Monash University Al-Amiri Hospital Kuwait City Dokuz Eylul University Neurology Department Hospital Universitario de CEMIC RELACOEM Australian MS Longitudinal Study Menzies Institute for Medical Research University of Tasmania Bulgarian SmartMS COVID-19 Dataset ABEM-Brazilian MS Patients Association Danish Multiple Sclerosis Registry Department of Neurology University Hospital Rigshospitalet Universidade Estadual Paulista Unesp Faculdade de Medicina REDONE.br-Brazilian Registry of Multiple Sclerosis and Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo Multiple Sclerosis University Center Ramos Mejia Hospital-EMA Imperial College Swansea University Mental Health Area MS and Demyelinating Diseases Hospital Británico de Buenos Aires EMA Servei de Neurologia-Neuroimmunologia Centre d'Esclerosi Múltiple de Catalunya Cemcat Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca Vall d'Hebron Hospital Universitari Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Institute of Experimental Neurology Ospedale San Raffaele Universidade Estadual Paulista Unesp Faculdade de Medicina