AUTHOR=Esatoglu Sinem Nihal , Tascilar Koray , Babaoğlu Hakan , Bes Cemal , Yurttas Berna , Akar Servet , Pehlivan Ozlem , Akleylek Cansu , Tecer Duygu , Seyahi Emire , Yuce-Inel Tuba , Alpay-Kanitez Nilufer , Bodakci Erdal , Tekgoz Emre , Colak Seda , Bolek Ertugrul Cagri , Koca Suleyman Serdar , Kalyoncu Umut , Icacan Ozan Cemal , Ugurlu Serdal , Oz Hande Ece , Hamuryudan Vedat , Hatemi Gulen , the Turkish Society for Rheumatology COVID-19 Registry Investigators , Cefle Ayse , Karakas Ali , Kaskari Derya , Karahan Samet , Tezcan Dilek , Tufan Abdurrahman , Ayan Ayse , Kılıc Levent , Donmez Salim , Erdogan Mustafa , Yazisiz Veli , Gok Edip Gokalp , Yucel Ahmet Eftal , Nas Elif Dincses , Kimyon Gezmiş , Dalgic Gunay Sahin , Erdem Hakan , Abacar Kerem Yigit , Mercan Ridvan , Karadag Omer , Gercik Onay , Ozbek Suleyman , Gider Sebnem , Gulle Semih , Osken Sibel , Kiraz Sedat , Kasifoglu Timucin , Alibaz-Oner Fatma , Fresko Izzet , Akdogan Ali , Yilmaz Neslihan TITLE=COVID-19 Among Patients With Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology VOLUME=12 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.651715 DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2021.651715 ISSN=1664-3224 ABSTRACT=Background

The course of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been of special concern in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRDs) due to the immune dysregulation that may be associated with these diseases and the medications used for IRDs, that may affect innate immune responses.

Objective

In this cohort study, we aimed to report the disease characteristics and variables associated with COVID-19 outcome among Turkish patients with IRDs.

Methods

Between April and June, 2020, 167 adult IRD patients with COVID-19 were registered from 31 centers in 14 cities in Turkey. Disease outcome was classified in 4 categories; (i) outpatient management, (ii) hospitalization without oxygen requirement, (iii) hospitalization with oxygen requirement, and (iv) intensive care unit (ICU) admission or death. Multivariable ordinal logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine variables associated with a worse outcome.

Results

165 patients (mean age: 50 ± 15.6 years, 58.2% female) were included. Twenty-four patients (14.5%) recovered under outpatient management, 141 (85.5%) were hospitalized, 49 (30%) required inpatient oxygen support, 22 (13%) were treated in the ICU (17 received invasive mechanic ventilation) and 16 (10%) died. Glucocorticoid use (OR: 4.53, 95%CI 1.65-12.76), chronic kidney disease (OR: 12.8, 95%CI 2.25-103.5), pulmonary disease (OR: 2.66, 95%CI 1.08-6.61) and obesity (OR: 3.7, 95%CI 1.01-13.87) were associated with a worse outcome. Biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) do not seem to affect COVID-19 outcome while conventional synthetic DMARDs may have a protective effect (OR: 0.36, 95%CI 0.17-0.75). Estimates for the associations between IRD diagnoses and outcome were inconclusive.

Conclusions

Among IRD patients with COVID-19, comorbidities and glucocorticoid use were associated with a worse outcome, while biologic DMARDs do not seem to be associated with a worse outcome.