Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a disease of the elderly, characterized by immunodeficiency. Hence, patients with CLL might be considered more susceptible to severe complications from COVID-19. We undertook this retrospective international multicenter study to characterize the course of COVID-19 in patients with CLL and identify potential predictors of outcome. Of 190 patients with CLL and confirmed COVID-19 diagnosed between 28/03/2020 and 22/05/2020, 151 (79%) presented with severe COVID-19 (need of oxygen and/or intensive care admission). Severe COVID-19 was associated with more advanced age (≥65 years) (odds ratio 3.72 [95% CI 1.79–7.71]). Only 60 patients (39.7%) with severe COVID-19 were receiving or had recent (≤12 months) treatment for CLL at the time of COVID-19 versus 30/39 (76.9%) patients with mild disease. Hospitalization rate for severe COVID-19 was lower (p < 0.05) for patients on ibrutinib versus those on other regimens or off treatment. Of 151 patients with severe disease, 55 (36.4%) succumbed versus only 1/38 (2.6%) with mild disease; age and comorbidities did not impact on mortality. In CLL, (1) COVID-19 severity increases with age; (2) antileukemic treatment (particularly BTK inhibitors) appears to exert a protective effect; (3) age and comorbidities did not impact on mortality, alluding to a relevant role of CLL and immunodeficiency.
COVID-19 severity and mortality in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a joint study by ERIC, the European Research Initiative on CLL, and CLL Campus / Scarfo', L.; Chatzikonstantinou, T.; Rigolin, G. M.; Quaresmini, G.; Motta, M.; Vitale, C.; Garcia-Marco, J. A.; Hernandez-Rivas, J. A.; Miras, F.; Baile, M.; Marquet, J.; Niemann, C. U.; Reda, G.; Munir, T.; Gimeno, E.; Marchetti, M.; Quaglia, F. M.; Varettoni, M.; Delgado, J.; Iyengar, S.; Janssens, A.; Marasca, R.; Ferrari, A.; Cuellar-Garcia, C.; Itchaki, G.; Spacek, M.; De Paoli, L.; Laurenti, L.; Levin, M. -D.; Lista, E.; Mauro, F. R.; Simkovic, M.; Van Der Spek, E.; Vandenberghe, E.; Trentin, L.; Wasik-Szczepanek, E.; Ruchlemer, R.; Bron, D.; De Paolis, M. R.; Del Poeta, G.; Farina, L.; Foglietta, M.; Gentile, M.; Herishanu, Y.; Herold, T.; Jaksic, O.; Kater, A. P.; Kersting, S.; Malerba, L.; Orsucci, L.; Popov, V. M.; Sportoletti, P.; Yassin, M.; Pocali, B.; Barna, G.; Chiarenza, A.; dos Santos, G.; Nikitin, E.; Andres, M.; Dimou, M.; Doubek, M.; Enrico, A.; Hakobyan, Y.; Kalashnikova, O.; Ortiz Pareja, M.; Papaioannou, M.; Rossi, D.; Shah, N.; Shrestha, A.; Stanca, O.; Stavroyianni, N.; Strugov, V.; Tam, C.; Zdrenghea, M.; Coscia, M.; Stamatopoulos, K.; Rossi, G.; Rambaldi, A.; Montserrat, E.; Foa, R.; Cuneo, A.; Ghia, P.. - In: LEUKEMIA. - ISSN 0887-6924. - 34:9(2020), pp. 2354-2363. [10.1038/s41375-020-0959-x]
COVID-19 severity and mortality in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a joint study by ERIC, the European Research Initiative on CLL, and CLL Campus
Scarfo' L.;Ghia P.
2020-01-01
Abstract
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a disease of the elderly, characterized by immunodeficiency. Hence, patients with CLL might be considered more susceptible to severe complications from COVID-19. We undertook this retrospective international multicenter study to characterize the course of COVID-19 in patients with CLL and identify potential predictors of outcome. Of 190 patients with CLL and confirmed COVID-19 diagnosed between 28/03/2020 and 22/05/2020, 151 (79%) presented with severe COVID-19 (need of oxygen and/or intensive care admission). Severe COVID-19 was associated with more advanced age (≥65 years) (odds ratio 3.72 [95% CI 1.79–7.71]). Only 60 patients (39.7%) with severe COVID-19 were receiving or had recent (≤12 months) treatment for CLL at the time of COVID-19 versus 30/39 (76.9%) patients with mild disease. Hospitalization rate for severe COVID-19 was lower (p < 0.05) for patients on ibrutinib versus those on other regimens or off treatment. Of 151 patients with severe disease, 55 (36.4%) succumbed versus only 1/38 (2.6%) with mild disease; age and comorbidities did not impact on mortality. In CLL, (1) COVID-19 severity increases with age; (2) antileukemic treatment (particularly BTK inhibitors) appears to exert a protective effect; (3) age and comorbidities did not impact on mortality, alluding to a relevant role of CLL and immunodeficiency.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
