Efficacy of Tocilizumab in Severely Ill COVID-19 Patients With Rapid Respiratory Deterioration: A Single Center Experience During the Third Pandemic Wave in Greece.

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIM:

Immunomodulatory therapy with Tocilizumab (TCZ), a monoclonal antibody against interleukin-6 receptor-alpha, has been endorsed by the World Health Organization and other major regulatory bodies, as part of the standard-of-care therapy for severe or critical COVID-19 cases despite discordant trial outcomes. The aim of the present study was to report the experience of our center regarding TCZ routine use in severely ill COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized during the third pandemic wave in Greece.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

From March 2021 to December 2021, we retrospectively analyzed COVID-19 patients with radiological findings of pneumonia and signs of rapid respiratory deterioration that were treated with TCZ. The primary outcome included the risk of intubation or/and death in TCZ-treated patients compared to matched controls.

RESULTS:

TCZ administration was neither predictive of intubation and/or death [OR=17.5 (95% CI=0.47-652.2; p=0.12)] or associated with fewer events (p=0.92) in multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION:

Our single-center real-life experience is in line with recently published research, revealing no benefit from TCZ routine use in severely or critically ill patients with COVID-19.

• Authors: Vasiliki Rapti, Maria-Effrosyni Livanou, Anastasios Kollias, Tilemachos Koutouratsas, Orestis Savranakis, Vissaria Sakka, Thomas Nitsotolis, Eleni Kakalou, Kalomoira Athanasiou, Konstantinos N Syrigos, Garyfallia Poulakou
• Journal: In vivo (Athens, Greece) (In Vivo) 2023 May-Jun Vol. 37 Issue 3 Pg. 1312-1317 ISSN: 1791-7549 [Electronic] Greece
• PMID: 37103076 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2023, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• tocilizumab

Topics

• Humans
• COVID-19
• SARS-CoV-2
• Retrospective Studies
• Pandemics
• Greece (epidemiology)
• COVID-19 Drug Treatment