COVID-19 after rituximab therapy in cSLE patients

Childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) is an autoimmune disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Rituximab is a B-cell depleting therapy utilized in the treatment of SLE. In adults, rituximab has been associated with increased risk of adverse outcomes in patients who...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Therapeutic advances in vaccines and immunotherapy 2023-01, Vol.11
Main Authors: Nelson, Meghan Corrigan, Manos, Cynthia K., Flanagan, Elaine, Prahalad, Sampath
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Autoimmune diseases
Case Series
Children
Clinical outcomes
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Emergency medical care
Immunotherapy
Lymphocytes B
Monoclonal antibodies
Morbidity
Patients
Pediatrics
Rituximab
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Systemic lupus erythematosus
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Summary:Childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) is an autoimmune disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Rituximab is a B-cell depleting therapy utilized in the treatment of SLE. In adults, rituximab has been associated with increased risk of adverse outcomes in patients who develop coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to assess the impact of prior rituximab treatment on clinical outcomes from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in children with SLE. To describe the impact of rituximab on outcomes from SARS-CoV-2 infection, we conducted a retrospective study of pediatric SLE patients in our center diagnosed with COVID-19 who had previously received rituximab between February 2019 and October 2022. Patients’ clinical characteristics, disease activity, and outcomes were assessed. Of the eight subjects assessed, five required hospitalizations for COVID-19, four required ICU admission, and two were seen in the emergency department for their symptoms. One patient ultimately expired from her illness. The median time between rituximab administration and COVID-19 diagnosis was 3 months. We assessed the clinical outcomes, including the need of ICU admission and fatal outcome, of COVID-19 in our cSLE patient population after rituximab administration. Approximately 60% of our patients required hospitalization for their illness, and seven out of eight patients required healthcare utilization to include hospitalization and/or emergency department visits.
ISSN:2515-1355
2515-1363
DOI:10.1177/25151355231181242