Axial spondyloarthritis may protect against poor outcomes in COVID-19: propensity score matched analysis of 9766 patients from a nationwide multi-centric research network

INTRODUCTION: The outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (ax-SpA) have not been explored in detail. Tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) are commonly used for ax-SpA patients, and how they influence outcomes may have implications on COVID-19 management. METHODS: A nationwide multi-centric research network was queried for patients with ax-SpA, including ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and non-radiographic SpA (nr-SpA) who had developed COVID-19. An equal number of propensity score(PS) matched controls were extracted from the database amongst patients with COVID-19 who did not have any inflammatory arthritis. Outcomes included mortality and others including hospitalization, intensive care unit, ventilation, acute kidney injury (AKI), renal replacement therapy, acute respiratory distress syndrome, cerebral infarction, venous thromboembolism (VTE), and sepsis. RESULTS: We identified 9766 patients with ax-SpA (924 AS and 8842 nr-SpA) and 691,862 without SpA who had COVID-19. In the unmatched comparison, patients with ax-SpA had higher risk ratios (RR) for all outcomes. After matching for demographics and comorbidities, patients with ax-SpA had lower RR for mortality [RR: 0.707 (95% CI: 0.598-0.836), p \u3c 0.0001], severe COVID-19 [RR: 0.791 (0.69-0.906), p = 0.0007], hospitalization [RR: 0.872 (0.826-0.921), p \u3c 0.0001], and AKI [RR: 0.902 (0.816-0.997), p = 0.044]. Only the risk of VTE was higher in ax-SpA patients [RR: 1.219 (1.037-1.433), p = 0.016]. Amongst the ax-SpA group, males had worse outcomes in 9 out of the 11 domains except for VTE and cerebral infarction, while blacks had worse outcomes in all except for mortality and the need for renal replacement therapy. AS had similar risk ratios for all outcomes compared with nr-SpA except hospitalization [RR: 1.457 (1.03-2.06), p = 0.0318]. There was no difference in outcomes in patients who had received TNFi in the year previous to COVID-19 infection. Ax-SpA patients who had been prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the 3 months prior to COVID-19 had poorer outcomes. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, COVID-19 outcomes were better in patients with ax-SpA as compared with PS matched controls except for increased risk for VTE. The use of TNFi is not associated with better or worse outcomes. These apparently protective effects observed need to be validated and explored further. Key Points • Patients with axial spondyloarthritis have lower mortality and morbidity during COVID-19 infections as compared with propensity score matched controls. • Axial spondyloarthritis is associated with higher risks for venous thromboembolism during COVID-19. • There is no difference in outcomes between ankylosing spondylitis and non-radiographic spondyloarthritis except in rates of hospitalization, which were higher in ankylosing spondylitis. • Use of tumour necrosis factor inhibitors did not influence COVID-19 outcomes

Short term outcomes of COVID-19 in lupus: Propensity score matched analysis from a nationwide multi-centric research network

Objectives: To determine the severity and outcome of COVID-19 among individuals with lupus as compared to controls. The secondary objective was to identify the risk association of sex, race, presence of nephritis, and use of various immunomodulators with COVID-19 outcomes. Methods: Retrospective data of individuals with lupus with and without COVID-19 between January 2020 to May 2021 was retrieved from the TriNetX. A one-to-one matched COVID-19 positive control was selected using propensity score(PS) matching. We assessed several outcomes, including all-cause mortality, hospitalisation, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, mechanical ventilation, severe COVID, acute kidney injury (AKI), Haemodialysis, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), ischemic stroke, venous thromboembolism (VTE) and sepsis were assessed. Results: We identified 2140 SLE patients with COVID-19, 29,853 SLE without COVID-19 and 732,291controls. Mortality within 30 days of COVID-19 diagnosis was comparable among SLE and controls [RR-1.26; 95%CI0.85,1.8]. SLE with COVID-19 had a higher risk of hospitalisation [RR-1.28; 95% CI 1.14-1.44], ICU admission [RR-1.35; 95% CI 1.01-1.83], mechanical ventilation [RR- 1.58 95% CI 1.07-2.33], stroke [RR-2.18; 95% CI 1.32,3.60], VTE [RR-2.22; 95% CI 1.57-03.12] and sepsis [RR-1.37; 95% CI 1.06-1.78].Individuals with SLE who contracted COVID-19 had higher mortality, hospitalisation, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, AKI, VTE and sepsis (p < 0.001) compared to SLE without COVID-19. Males with SLE had a higher risk of AKI [RR2.05; 95% CI 1.27-3.31] than females. Lupus nephritis was associated with higher risk of hospitalisation [RR1.36; 95% CI 1.05-1.76], AKI [RR-2.32; 95% CI 1.50-3.59] and sepsis [RR-2.07; 95% CI-1.12-3.83]. Conclusion: The mortality of individuals with SLE due to COVID-19 is comparable to the general population but with higher risks of hospitalisation, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, stroke, VTE and sepsis. The presence of nephritis increases the risk of AKI, thus probably increasing hospitalisation and sepsi

Outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A multicenter research network study in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate outcomes of Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as compared to the general population. Additionally, outcomes were explored among RA patients stratified by sex, race, and medications use through sub-cohort analyses. METHODS: This comparative cohort study used a US multicenter research network (TriNetX) to extract data on all adult RA patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19, and adults without RA who were diagnosed with COVID-19 (comparative cohort) anytime from January 20, 2020 to April 11, 2021. COVID-19 outcomes were assessed within 30 days after its diagnosis. Baseline characteristics that included demographics and comorbidities were controlled in propensity score matching. RESULTS: A total of 9730 RA patients with COVID-19 and 656,979 non-RA with COVID-19 were identified. Before matching, the risk of all outcomes including mortality (RR: 2.11, 95%CI: 1.90 to 2.34), hospitalization (RR: 1.60, 1.55 to 1.66), intensive care unit-ICU admission (RR: 1.86, 1.71 to 2.05), mechanical ventilation (RR: 1.62, 1.44 to 1.82), severe COVID-19 (RR: 1.89, 1.74 to 2.06), acute kidney injury (RR: 2.13, 1.99 to 2.29), kidney replacement therapy/hemodialysis (RR: 1.40, 1.03 to 1.89), acute respiratory distress syndrome-ARDS (RR: 1.76, 1.53 to 2.02), ischemic stroke (RR: 2.62, 2.24 to 3.07), venous thromboembolism-VTE (RR: 2.30, 2.07 to 2.56), and sepsis (RR: 1.97, 1.81 to 2.13) was higher in RA compared to non-RA. After matching, the risks did not differ in both cohorts except for VTE (RR: 1.18, 1.01 to 1.38) and sepsis (RR: 1.27, 1.12 to 1.43), which were higher in the RA cohort. Male sex, black race, and glucocorticoid use increased the risk of adverse outcomes. The risk of hospitalization was higher in rituximab or interleukin 6 inhibitors (IL-6i) users compared to tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) users, with no significant difference between Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) or abatacept users and TNFi users. CONCLUSION: This large cohort study of RA-COVID-19 found that the risk of all outcomes was higher in the RA compared to the non-RA cohort before matching, with no difference in the majority of outcomes after matching, implying the risk being attributed to adjusted factors. However, the risk of VTE and sepsis was higher in RA cohort even after matching, indicating RA as an independent risk factor. Male sex, black race, and glucocorticoid use were associated with adverse outcomes in RA with COVID-19. Rituximab or IL-6i users were associated with an increased risk of hospitalization compared to TNFi users

Short term outcomes of COVID-19 in lupus: Propensity score matched analysis from a nationwide multi-centric research network

Objectives To determine the severity and outcome of COVID-19 among individuals with lupus as compared to controls. The secondary objective was to identify the risk association of sex, race, presence of nephritis, and use of various immunomodulators with COVID-19 outcomes. Methods Retrospective data of individuals with lupus with and without COVID-19 between January 2020 to May 2021 was retrieved from the TriNetX. A one-to-one matched COVID-19 positive control was selected using propensity score(PS) matching. We assessed several outcomes, including all-cause mortality, hospitalisation, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, mechanical ventilation, severe COVID, acute kidney injury (AKI), Haemodialysis, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), ischemic stroke, venous thromboembolism (VTE) and sepsis were assessed. Results We identified 2140 SLE patients with COVID-19, 29,853 SLE without COVID-19 and 732,291controls. Mortality within 30 days of COVID-19 diagnosis was comparable among SLE and controls [RR-1.26; 95%CI-0.85,1.8]. SLE with COVID-19 had a higher risk of hospitalisation [RR-1.28; 95% CI 1.14–1.44], ICU admission [RR-1.35; 95% CI 1.01–1.83], mechanical ventilation [RR- 1.58 95% CI 1.07–2.33], stroke [RR-2.18; 95% CI 1.32,3.60], VTE [RR-2.22; 95% CI 1.57–03.12] and sepsis [RR-1.37; 95% CI 1.06–1.78].Individuals with SLE who contracted COVID-19 had higher mortality, hospitalisation, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, AKI, VTE and sepsis (p \u3c 0.001) compared to SLE without COVID-19. Males with SLE had a higher risk of AKI [RR-2.05; 95% CI 1.27–3.31] than females. Lupus nephritis was associated with higher risk of hospitalisation [RR-1.36; 95% CI 1.05–1.76], AKI [RR-2.32; 95% CI 1.50–3.59] and sepsis [RR-2.07; 95% CI-1.12–3.83]. Conclusion The mortality of individuals with SLE due to COVID-19 is comparable to the general population but with higher risks of hospitalisation, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, stroke, VTE and sepsis. The presence of nephritis increases the risk of AKI, thus probably increasing hospitalisation and sepsis

Tuberculosis in Children with Rheumatic Diseases Treated with Biologic Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs

Chronic rheumatic diseases entail the use of biologics in children. Immunosuppressive effects of drug therapy put children at risk of various infections including tuberculosis (TB). Even though TB is a major concern among individuals on biological DMARDs, the incidence and distribution among children on these drugs is not known. Hence, we performed a literature search to ascertain the prevalence of tuberculosis amongst children with rheumatic disorders treated with biological agents. Articles available on MEDLINE and SCOPUS published on or after January 1, 2010 to 1 October 2019 were reviewed and collated. We found that published data on TB infections in children with rheumatic disorders on biologics is scant even from regions with highest TB burden. Tuberculosis was reported on occasion (0–5 cases per country) in the developed world with most reports being from Turkey. While most of the retrospective studies suggest that TB risk is minimal in the paediatric rheumatology patients, prospective studies suffer from a short observation period. Most registries focus on response to therapy rather than complications. In this review we have then discussed about the variation in screening strategies for latent TB and the role of bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination. Based on the dearth of data and inconsistency in data collection, we propose a way forward in the form of establishing well-designed long-term prospective national registries from countries with high background prevalence of TB with focus not only on treatment efficacy but also on adverse events and infections

COVID-19 outcomes in patients with Dermatomyositis: A registry-based cohort analysis

Background: Patients with rheumatic diseases (RDs) like DM are known to be vulnerable towards various types of infections due to aggressive disease activity mandating high dose immunosuppressive therapy. The severity of COVID-19 in RDs is limited in literature due to the heterogeneous nature of the condition. Therefore, specific details on mortality is essential to navigate any precautions required in the treatment.Objectives: To determine outcomes of COVID-19 in DM as compared to controls, and identify the risk association of gender, race, interstitial lung disease, neoplasms, and use of immunosuppressant.Methods: Retrospective data of individuals with DM and COVID-19 and the general population with COVID-19 between January 2020 to August 2021 was retrieved from the TriNetX database. 1:1 Propensity Score matching was used to adjust for confounders. We assessed COVID-19 outcomes such as mortality, hospitalisation, ICU admission, severe COVID-19, mechanical ventilation (MV), acute kidney injury (AKI), venous thromboembolism (VTE), ischemic stroke, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), renal replacement therapy (RRT) and sepsis. Subgroup analyses included gender, race, ILD, cancer patients, disease-modifying rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) use, and glucocorticoids (GC) use.Results: We identified 5,574 DM patients with COVID-19, and 5,574 general population with COVID-19 (controls). DM with COVID-19 had a lower risk of mortality in comparison to controls [RR 0.76], hospitalisation [RR 0.8], severe COVID-19 [RR 0.76], AKI [RR 0.83], and sepsis [RR 0.73]. Males and African Americans were more likely to develop AKI [RR 1.35, 1.65], while African Americans had higher odds for severe COVID-19 [RR 1.62] and VTE [RR 1.54]. DM with ILD group also experienced higher odds for severe COVID-19 infection [RR 1.64], and VTE [RR 2.06].DM patients receiving DMARDs and glucocorticoids had higher odds for hospitalisation [RR 1.46, 2.12], and sepsis [RR 3.25, 2.4] Subgroup analysis of 5-year neoplasm history amongst DM patients with COVID-19 was inadequate for meaningful comparison.Conclusion: Dermatomyositis patients without comorbities have reasonable COVID-19 outcomes including mortality and hospitalisation. Black race, male gender, ILD, DMARDS and glucocorticoid users, are associated with poor outcomes