ORIGINAL RESEARCH

Experience of tocilizumab in hospital patients with moderate COVID-19

Burgasova OA1,2, Dolinniy SV3, Tetova VB1, Ogarkova DA2, Odnoralov MA1, Bakalin VV1, Smetanina SV3, Antipyat NA3, Taranova MV4
About authors

1 Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, Moscow, Russia

2 Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, Moscow, Russia

3 Clinical Hospital for Infectious Diseases №1, Moscow, Russia

4 Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia

Correspondence should be addressed: Olga A. Burgasova
Volokolamskoe sh., 47, str. 8, korp. 5, Moscow, 125310, Russia; ur.liam@avosagrubaglo

About paper

Author contribution: OA Burgasova — initiative and design, supervision of the clinical part of the study, writing of the manuscript; SV Dolinniy — literature review, clinical observations, data processing; VB Tetova — literature review, editing of the manuscript; DA Ogarkova — statistical analysis; MA Odnoralov, VV Baсalin — clinical observations, processing of clinical and laboratory data; SV Smetanina — concept; NA Antipyat — supervision of the clinical part of the study, MV Taranova — literature review, data processing.

Compliance with ethical standards: the study was approved by the ethics committee at the Clinical Hospital for Infectious Diseases №1 (Protocol 1 of January 11, 2021); all participants provided informed consent for the study.

Received: 2022-03-10 Accepted: 2022-04-03 Published online: 2022-04-15
|

Severe form of COVID 19 has been linked to the phenomenon of dysregulated inflammation with excessive cytokine release and elevated interleukin 6 (IL6) levels. Suppressive agents enabling specific inhibition of cytokines, notably monoclonal antibodies to IL6 and its receptors, have been applied as a rescue therapy in COVID 19 despite the underexplored clinical scope for these biologic medications. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical utility of IL6 receptor antagonist tocilizumab in moderate symptomatic COVID 19 prone to aggravation. The retrospective cohort study enrolled two groups of hospitalized patients (a total of n = 72) diagnosed with moderate COVID-19. The main group received a single 400 mg dose of tocilizumab (TCZ) on top of standard therapy. The comparative analysis included statistical evaluation for a number of clinical and laboratory parameters at reference time points and disease outcomes with regard to treatment strategy. Overall, TCZ administration provided no advantages in terms of oxygen supplementation status, disease progression, or survival. Lethal cases constituted 19.2% (10 pts) and 5% (1 pt) in TCZ and comparison groups, respectively. The results indicate that administration of monoclonal antibody drugs in hospital patients with COVID-19 must follow differential schemes with regard to the disease severity and comorbidities, as well as proper commencement schedules.

Keywords: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), interleukin 6 (IL6) inhibitors, tocilizumab, dexamethasone

КОММЕНТАРИИ (0)