Citations 188

Characterization of Early-Onset Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection in Immunocompromised Patients Who Received Tixagevimab-Cilgavimab Prophylaxis

Open Forum Infectious Diseases | June 7, 2022 | Volume: 9 | Issue: 7 | Pages: No page available

10.1093/ofid/ofac283 | PMID 35859990

Abstract Tixagevimab-cilgavimab is authorized for preexposure prophylaxis against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in immunocompromised hosts. Herein, we report the clinical characteristics of 8 patients who developed COVID-19 soon after receiving tixagevimab-cilgavimab. This study emphasizes the need to maintain additional measures to prevent COVID-19 during periods of high severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 transmission.
Treatment with anti-spike monoclonal antibodies in allogeneic HCT and CAR T-cell recipients with mild to moderate COVID-19: The Mayo Clinic experience.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | June 6, 2022 | Volume: 40 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: e19049-e19049

10.1200/jco.2022.40.16_suppl.e19049

e19049 Background: Prognosis of COVID-19 is poor in the setting of immunosuppression. Casirivimab/imdevimab (REGEN-COV), bamlanivimab, and sotrovimab are investigational monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) authorized for treatment of mild/moderate COVID-19 for patients (pts) 12 years or older and who are at high-risk for progression to severe COVID-19. These neutralizing antibodies, against SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins, have been shown to decrease risk of progression to severe disease. Recipients of allogeneic stem cell transplants (allo-SCT) or chimeric antigen T cell therapy (CAR T cell) represent a high risk population. However, treatment outcomes with these MoAbs in these pts are not well described. Methods: This retrospective study included 33 consecutive adult pts who developed mild/moderate COVID-19 and received anti-spike SARS-CoV-2 MoAbs between December 2020 and November 2021. Allo-SCT (N=27) or CAR T cell (N=6) recipients were included, and outcomes were analyzed separately. Pts received REGEN-COV (N=19), bamlanivimab (N=11), or sotrovimab (N=1), missing (N=2). Results: In the allo-SCT cohort (N=27), median age at time of COVID-19 was 55 (23-76) years. Median time from allo-SCT to COVID-19 was 31 (22-64) months. Two pts received CAR T-cell therapy prior to allo-SCT. Diagnoses included leukemia or myeloid diseases (82%), lymphoma (11%), or myeloma (7%). Transplant characteristics are summarized (Table). Thirteen pts were vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 prior to breakthrough COVID-19. Events considered included hospitalization due to COVID-19, disease progression, or death from any cause. The 6-month event-free and overall survivals were 81% and 91%, respectively. In the CAR T cell recipients cohort (N=6), 4 pts received axicabtagene ciloleucel for diffuse large B-cell or follicular lymphoma and 2 received brexucabtagene autoleucel for mantle cell lymphoma. The median follow-up was 8 (1-11) months. Two pts received autologous SCT prior to COVID-19. Median time from CAR T cell therapy to COVID-19 was 10 (3-24) months. Three pts were vaccinated prior to COVID-19. Only 1 pt was hospitalized due to severe COVID-19 requiring mechanical ventilation leading to death. Conclusions: These results show a potential benefit of MoAbs in high-risk pts, namely allo-SCT or CAR T cell recipients. Future studies should evaluate the role of prophylactic use MoAbs in these populations. A comparative analysis with a matched control cohort (who did not receive MoAbs) will be provided at the meeting. [Table: see text]
Twice as nice: Cytomegalovirus tele‐education

Transplant Infectious Disease | May 25, 2022 | Volume: 24 | Issue: 4 | Pages: No page available

10.1111/tid.13865 | PMID 35612090

Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in a non‐HIV immunocompromised patient with Pneumocystis Jirovecii pneumonia

Transplant Infectious Disease | May 22, 2022 | Volume: 24 | Issue: 4 | Pages: No page available

10.1111/tid.13856 | PMID 35598073

Clinical and microbiologic outcomes of central nervous system cryptococcosis: Re‐examining the need for a 2‐week cerebrospinal fluid analysis

Mycoses | May 10, 2022 | Volume: 65 | Issue: 7 | Pages: 733-740

10.1111/myc.13467 | PMID 35535694

AbstractBackgroundCryptococcus spp. infection involving the central nervous system (CNS) is associated with poor outcomes. Current guidelines recommend repeating a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fungal culture after 2 weeks of treatment to evaluate for clearance. However, this practice has not clearly been associated with outcomes.ObjectivesWe sought to assess the relationship between CSF fungal clearance at 2 weeks and 12‐month mortality in patients with CNS cryptococcosis.MethodsThis is a retrospective cohort study from 2011 to 2020 of patients with CNS cryptococcosis. Factors associated with 12‐month mortality were assessed with Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables and Mann–Whitney test for continuous variables.ResultsAmong 51 patients with CNS cryptococcosis, 42 (82.4%) were initially CSF culture positive. Among 27 patients with follow‐up CSF culture at 2 weeks, 6 (22.2%) had a positive result. Factors associated with a positive CSF culture at 2 weeks were an initial CSF cryptococcal antigen titre ≥1:2560, fungaemia, and an elevated intracranial pressure requiring therapeutic lumbar punctures. The 12‐month mortality rate was 33.3%, and this was significantly associated with baseline fungaemia, extra‐CNS cryptococcal involvement and requirement of intensive care unit level of care. Lack of CSF culture clearance by 2 weeks was not associated with 12‐month mortality.ConclusionsCNS cryptococcosis has a high mortality rate. A markedly elevated CSF cryptococcal antigen, and opening CSF pressure was associated with lack of CSF culture clearance at 2 weeks of treatment. Severe disseminated disease and cryptococcemia were associated with 12‐month mortality.
Outcomes of B-Cell-Depleted Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 Treated With Antispike Monoclonal Antibodies

Open Forum Infectious Diseases | April 14, 2022 | Volume: 9 | Issue: 7 | Pages: No page available

10.1093/ofid/ofac204 | PMID 35791358

Abstract Antispike monoclonal antibody treatment of 180 B-cell-depleted patients with mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) resulted in good outcomes overall, with only 12.2% progressing to severe disease, 9.4% requiring hospitalization, 0.6% requiring mechanical ventilation, no deaths within 30 days, and 1.8% developing persistent COVID-19. Antispike monoclonal antibodies appear effective in this immunocompromised population.
Breakthrough COVID‐19 after SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination in solid organ transplant recipients: An analysis of symptomatic cases and monoclonal antibody therapy

Transplant Infectious Disease | December 21, 2021 | Volume: 24 | Issue: 2 | Pages: No page available

10.1111/tid.13779 | PMID 34932874

AbstractBackgroundSolid organ transplant (SOT) recipients are at increased risk for complications from SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. Little is known regarding clinical course and outcomes of breakthrough COVID‐19 in the fully vaccinated SOT population. We sought to describe our cohort of SOT recipients who developed symptomatic breakthrough COVID‐19 after full vaccination.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective review of SOT recipients diagnosed with COVID‐19 at least 14 days after completing SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination. Patients were analyzed according to those presenting with mild‐to‐moderate and severe COVID‐19, respectively. We described presenting characteristics, COVID‐19 therapy, and analyzed outcomes including emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalization, and intensive care unit (ICU) admission.ResultsThirty‐five patients met inclusion criteria. These had a mean age of 60.8 years and kidney transplant was the most common SOT type. Five patients presented with severe COVID‐19 at diagnosis, all requiring hospitalization without ICU admission. From the 30 patients who presented with mild‐to‐moderate infection, 28 received casirivimab–imdevimab. Four of these 28 (14.3%) had an ED visit, with one requiring hospital admission (3.4%). No patients required ICU admission.ConclusionBreakthrough COVID‐19 may occur in SOT recipients after full vaccination, though they appear to have acceptable outcomes. Anti‐spike monoclonal antibody therapy for eligible SOT patients may have mitigated clinical progression and improved the outcomes. Further study with large cohorts is warranted.
Monoclonal Antibody Treatment of Breakthrough COVID-19 in Fully Vaccinated Individuals with High-Risk Comorbidities

The Journal of Infectious Diseases | November 12, 2021 | Volume: 225 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 598-602

10.1093/infdis/jiab570 | PMID 34791298

Abstract Background Breakthrough coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may occur in fully vaccinated persons. Methods We assessed the clinical outcomes of breakthrough COVID-19 in fully vaccinated individuals. Results In this cohort of 1395 persons (mean age, 54.3 years; 60% female; median body mass index, 30.7) who developed breakthrough COVID- 19, there were 107 (7.7%) who required hospitalization by day 28. Hospitalization was significantly associated with the number of medical comorbidities. Antispike monoclonal antibody treatment was significantly associated with a lower risk of hospitalization (odds ratio, 0.227; 95% confidence interval, 0.128–0.403; P < .001). The number needed to treat (NNT) to prevent 1 hospitalization was 225 among the lowest risk patient group compared with NNT of 4 among those with highest numbers of medical comorbidity. Conclusions Monoclonal antibody treatment is associated with reduced hospitalization in vaccinated high-risk persons with mild to moderate COVID-19.
Individualized management of cytomegalovirus in solid organ transplant recipients

Expert Review of Precision Medicine and Drug Development | August 17, 2021 | Volume: 6 | Issue: 5 | Pages: 333-344

10.1080/23808993.2021.1964951

Reply to Puing et al

The Journal of Infectious Diseases | August 11, 2021 | Volume: 225 | Issue: 2 | Pages: 353-355

10.1093/infdis/jiab407 | PMID 34379766