The evolving landscape of COVID-19 and post-COVID condition in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: A study by ERIC, the European research initiative on CLL

Visentin, A.; Chatzikonstantinou, T.; Scarfo', L.; Kapetanakis, A.; Demosthenous, C.; Karakatsoulis, G.; Minga, E.; Chamou, D.; Allsup, D.; Cabrero, A. A.; Andres, M.; Antic, D.; Baile, M.; Baliakas, P.; Besikli-Dimou, S.; Bron, D.; Chatzileontiadou, S.; Cordoba, R.; Correa, J. -G.; Cuellar-Garcia, C.; De Paoli, L.; De Paolis, M. R.; Delgado, J.; Dimou, M.; Donaldson, D.; Catherwood, M.; Doubek, M.; Efstathopoulou, M.; Eichhorst, B.; Elashwah, S.; Enrico, A.; Espinet, B.; Farina, L.; Ferrari, A.; Foglietta, M.; Frederiksen, H.; Furstenau, M.; Garcia-Marco, J. A.; Garcia-Serra, R.; Collado, R.; Gentile, M.; Gimeno, E.; Glenthoj, A.; da Silva, M. G.; Hakobyan, Y. K.; Herishanu, Y.; Hernandez-Rivas, J. A.; Herold, T.; Innocenti, I.; Itchaki, G.; Jaksic, O.; Janssens, A.; Kalashnikova, О. B.; Kalicinska, E.; Kater, A. P.; Kersting, S.; Labrador, J.; Lad, D.; Laurenti, L.; Levin, M. -D.; Lista, E.; Lopez-Garcia, A.; Malerba, L.; Marasca, R.; Marchetti, M.; Marquet, J.; Mattsson, M.; Mauro, F. R.; Morawska, M.; Motta, M.; Munir, T.; Murru, R.; Niemann, C. U.; Rodrigues, R. N.; Olivieri, J.; Orsucci, L.; Papaioannou, M.; Pavlovsky, M. A.; Piskunova, I.; Popov, V. M.; Quaglia, F. M.; Quaresmini, G.; Qvist, K.; Rigolin, G. M.; Ruchlemer, R.; Simkovic, M.; Spacek, M.; Sportoletti, P.; Stanca, O.; Tadmor, T.; Capasso, A.; Del Poeta, G.; Gutwein, O.; Karlsson, L. K.; Milosevic, I.; Miras, F.; Reda, G.; Saghumyan, G.; Shrestha, A.; Te Raa, D.; Tonino, S. H.; Van Der Spek, E.; van Gelder, M.; van Kampen, R.; Wasik-Szczepanek, E.; Wrobel, T.; Segundo, L. Y. S.; Yassin, M.; Pocali, B.; Vandenberghe, E.; Iyengar, S.; Varettoni, M.; Vitale, C.; Coscia, M.; Rambaldi, A.; Montserrat, E.; Cuneo, A.; Stavroyianni, N.; Trentin, L.; Stamatopoulos, K.; Ghia, P.

doi:10.1002/ajh.27093

In this retrospective international multicenter study, we describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and related disorders (small lymphocytic lymphoma and high-count monoclonal B lymphocytosis) infected by SARS-CoV-2, including the development of post-COVID condition. Data from 1540 patients with CLL infected by SARS-CoV-2 from January 2020 to May 2022 were included in the analysis and assigned to four phases based on cases disposition and SARS-CoV-2 variants emergence. Post-COVID condition was defined according to the WHO criteria. Patients infected during the most recent phases of the pandemic, though carrying a higher comorbidity burden, were less often hospitalized, rarely needed intensive care unit admission, or died compared to patients infected during the initial phases. The 4-month overall survival (OS) improved through the phases, from 68% to 83%, p =.0015. Age, comorbidity, CLL-directed treatment, but not vaccination status, emerged as risk factors for mortality. Among survivors, 6.65% patients had a reinfection, usually milder than the initial one, and 16.5% developed post-COVID condition. The latter was characterized by fatigue, dyspnea, lasting cough, and impaired concentration. Infection severity was the only risk factor for developing post-COVID. The median time to resolution of the post-COVID condition was 4.7 months. OS in patients with CLL improved during the different phases of the pandemic, likely due to the improvement of prophylactic and therapeutic measures against SARS-CoV-2 as well as the emergence of milder variants. However, mortality remained relevant and a significant number of patients developed post-COVID conditions, warranting further investigations.

The evolving landscape of COVID-19 and post-COVID condition in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: A study by ERIC, the European research initiative on CLL / Visentin, A.; Chatzikonstantinou, T.; Scarfo', L.; Kapetanakis, A.; Demosthenous, C.; Karakatsoulis, G.; Minga, E.; Chamou, D.; Allsup, D.; Cabrero, A. A.; Andres, M.; Antic, D.; Baile, M.; Baliakas, P.; Besikli-Dimou, S.; Bron, D.; Chatzileontiadou, S.; Cordoba, R.; Correa, J. -G.; Cuellar-Garcia, C.; De Paoli, L.; De Paolis, M. R.; Delgado, J.; Dimou, M.; Donaldson, D.; Catherwood, M.; Doubek, M.; Efstathopoulou, M.; Eichhorst, B.; Elashwah, S.; Enrico, A.; Espinet, B.; Farina, L.; Ferrari, A.; Foglietta, M.; Frederiksen, H.; Furstenau, M.; Garcia-Marco, J. A.; Garcia-Serra, R.; Collado, R.; Gentile, M.; Gimeno, E.; Glenthoj, A.; da Silva, M. G.; Hakobyan, Y. K.; Herishanu, Y.; Hernandez-Rivas, J. A.; Herold, T.; Innocenti, I.; Itchaki, G.; Jaksic, O.; Janssens, A.; Kalashnikova, О. B.; Kalicinska, E.; Kater, A. P.; Kersting, S.; Labrador, J.; Lad, D.; Laurenti, L.; Levin, M. -D.; Lista, E.; Lopez-Garcia, A.; Malerba, L.; Marasca, R.; Marchetti, M.; Marquet, J.; Mattsson, M.; Mauro, F. R.; Morawska, M.; Motta, M.; Munir, T.; Murru, R.; Niemann, C. U.; Rodrigues, R. N.; Olivieri, J.; Orsucci, L.; Papaioannou, M.; Pavlovsky, M. A.; Piskunova, I.; Popov, V. M.; Quaglia, F. M.; Quaresmini, G.; Qvist, K.; Rigolin, G. M.; Ruchlemer, R.; Simkovic, M.; Spacek, M.; Sportoletti, P.; Stanca, O.; Tadmor, T.; Capasso, A.; Del Poeta, G.; Gutwein, O.; Karlsson, L. K.; Milosevic, I.; Miras, F.; Reda, G.; Saghumyan, G.; Shrestha, A.; Te Raa, D.; Tonino, S. H.; Van Der Spek, E.; van Gelder, M.; van Kampen, R.; Wasik-Szczepanek, E.; Wrobel, T.; Segundo, L. Y. S.; Yassin, M.; Pocali, B.; Vandenberghe, E.; Iyengar, S.; Varettoni, M.; Vitale, C.; Coscia, M.; Rambaldi, A.; Montserrat, E.; Cuneo, A.; Stavroyianni, N.; Trentin, L.; Stamatopoulos, K.; Ghia, P.. - In: AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY. - ISSN 0361-8609. - 98:12(2023), pp. 1856-1868. [10.1002/ajh.27093]