Outcome of COVID-19 in patients with rheumatic diseases treated with immunosuppressive drugs

Authors

Ali Sobh, Department of Pediatrics, Mansoura University Children’s Hospital, Mansoura University Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura, EgyptFollow
Noha Hazem Elnagdy, Department of Physical Medicine, Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt,
Mohamed Elegezy, Department of Endemic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt
Mohamed Mofreh, Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt,
Mohamed Tohlob, Department of Chest Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt
Ahmad M. Eita, Department of Pediatrics, Mansoura University Children’s Hospital, Mansoura University Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura, Egypt
Ragheed Rizk, Resident in Pediatric Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt
Ola Eliwa, House officer in Ministry of Health, Egypt,
Marwa H. Elnagdy, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt
Ahmed Elsaeed Abdulgalil, Mansoura nephrology and dialysis unit, Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt

Subject Area

Physical Medicine, Rheumatology, and Rehabilitation

Article Type

Original Study

Abstract

Background: Rheumatologic disorders have been significantly impacted by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The potential role of immunosuppressive drugs in the presentation, severity and even management of COVID-19 is still questionable. The aim of this work was to study the effect of immunosuppressive drugs on outcome of COVID-19 infection in patients with rheumatic diseases. 109 rheumatic patients (37 pediatrics and 72 adults) taking immunosuppressive treatment with confirmed COVID-19 infection were included in this study. Clinical, laboratory, radiological findings and outcome of these patients were retrospectively retrieved from hospital medical records. Results: The majority of adult cases were rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), while juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) represented the majority of pediatric cases. There were 13 deaths (18.1%) among adults. While, no recorded deaths among the pediatrics. There was significant correlation between the use of steroids, biologics and radiological findings among adults. Also, there was significant correlation between the need for oxygenation with the use of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and steroids. Conclusion: The impact of the use of immunosuppressive therapies during the COVID- 19 pandemic is variable depending on the type of drug and associated comorbidities. The decision whether to use these drugs or not must be tailored for each patient.

Recommended Citation

Sobh, Ali; Elnagdy, Noha Hazem; Elegezy, Mohamed; Mofreh, Mohamed; Tohlob, Mohamed; Eita, Ahmad M.; Rizk, Ragheed; Eliwa, Ola; Elnagdy, Marwa H.; and Abdulgalil, Ahmed Elsaeed (2023) "Outcome of COVID-19 in patients with rheumatic diseases treated with immunosuppressive drugs," Mansoura Medical Journal: Vol. 52 : Iss. 2 , Article 7.
Available at: https://doi.org/10.58775/2735-3990.1391

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.