Individuals susceptible to infection with coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) represent heterogeneous
populations presenting a large risk spectrum. Risk stratification is critical to define
clinically relevant subpopulations to more accurately target screening, prevention,
and therapeutic interventions and allocate resources. Patients over age of 65 and
those with comorbidities including obesity, cardiovascular disease, chronic pulmonary
disease, and diabetes mellitus are at higher risk for severe COVID-19 disease [1].
Various common viral agents including influenza and adenovirus are associated with
an increased risk of a severe disease course and respiratory complications in immunocompromised
patients; however, this has not been the case with coronaviruses [2]. It is unclear
at this time whether rheumatic disease patients on chronic immunosuppressive therapy
are at higher risk of developing a more severe disease course when infected with COVID-19
as data regarding this topic are limited and conflicting.
One small study conducted in Italy, involving thirteen patients—four patients with
confirmed COVID-19 identification through nasopharyngeal swab, four with symptoms
highly suggestive of COVID-19, and five asymptomatic patients with a known exposure
to COVID-19—treated with a biologic DMARD, a targeted synthetic DMARD, or a combination
of the two, showed no increase risk of developing severe symptoms [3]. None of the
thirteen patients developed severe respiratory complications, and only one patient
(age 65) required short-term hospitalization [3]. All patients in this study had a
diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or spondyloarthritis (SpA) [3]. In a recent
larger cohort in New York City of 86 patients with immune-mediated diseases and either
confirmed or highly suspected COVID-19 symptomatic infection studied prospectively,
the incidence of hospitalization among patients with immune-mediated inflammatory
disease was consistent with that among patients with COVID-19 in the general population,
suggesting that the baseline use of biologics is not associated with worse COVID-19
outcomes [4].
Another report, however, suggests that systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients
may be prone to severe COVID-19 disease independent of their immunosuppression from
lupus treatment. Hypomethylation and overexpression of angiotensin-converting enzyme-2
(ACE-2) in lupus patients may facilitate viral entry into the cells [5].
Recent data indicates that a small fraction of patients infected with COVID-19 develop
rheumatic disease symptoms including arthralgia, interstitial pneumonia, myocarditis,
leucopenia, thrombocytopenia, and coagulopathy with anti-phospholipid antibodies [6,
7]. Significant efforts to assess the efficacy of anti-rheumatic drugs in COVID-19
patients are currently underway. All coronaviruses express a surface glycoprotein
termed a “spike” which binds to the host receptor for entry [8]. This receptor has
been identified as the ACE-2 which is expressed in mature lung epithelial cells, enterocytes,
kidney proximal tubular cells, and endothelial cells [8]. This distribution of ACE-2
would explain the risk for multiorgan involvement of this viral infection. When the
lysosomal proteases cleave the spike protein, it releases signal peptide that facilitates
viral entry into the cells [8]. Low synthesis of anti-viral cytokines, including interferon
alpha and beta, and increased pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1 and IL-6,
play a significant role in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 [8]. Tocilizumab, an anti-IL-6
receptor antibody used in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, leads to recovery and
disappearance of lung opacities in 90% of twenty-one patients in China with severe
respiratory syndrome related to COVID-19 [8]. Baricitinib, a JAK 1 and 2 inhibitor
used in RA, is also under evaluation for use in COVID-19 patients with the hypothesis
that it can reduce both viral entry and inflammation by blocking receptor-mediated
endocytosis and the downstream signaling of interferon alpha and beta [8, 9]. Lastly,
checkpoint inhibitors such as anti-CD200-CD200R1 have been found to prevent an excessive
inflammatory response and downregulate macrophage activation in a mouse model [8].
Current recommendations for patients with rheumatologic diseases are to continue their
immunosuppressive therapy unless infected with COVID-19, with the exception of hydroxychloroquine
and tocilizumab in select circumstances [6, 10]. Limited and conflicting data warrant
closer surveillance of patients with autoimmune diseases on chronic immunosuppressive
therapy. This will assist with risk stratification and promote evidence-based recommendations
to our patients.
One proposed study would be to retrospectively collect comprehensive data from all
hospitalized COVID-19 patients who were on immunosuppressive therapy prior to hospital
admission. This data would include the following: age, sex, BMI, race, ethnicity,
history of tobacco and e-cigarette use, co-morbidities, pregnancy status, date of
diagnosis, symptoms, radiologic findings, laboratory findings, treatment method during
hospitalization, severity of illness using American Thoracic Society guidelines for
CAP, infection complications, outcomes, diagnosis of baseline autoimmune disease,
disease activity of baseline autoimmune disease, type of immunosuppressive therapy
prior to hospitalization, length of immunosuppressive therapy prior to admission,
half-life of immunosuppressive therapy, whether baseline therapy was held on admission,
and list of all other medications prior to admission. One can use a multivariate regression
analysis to extrapolate which immunosuppressive therapies were associated with the
best patient outcomes with the theory that those with a longer half-life and ability
to best suppress a cytokine storm would be superior.
The COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance created a global registry during the COVID-19
pandemic that captures the majority of the data listed above [11] and would be an
appropriate source of data for conducting various studies related to immunosuppressive
therapy and COVID-19 infection severity. We recommend collection of additional data
in the current registry in order to conduct the study described above. This data includes
the following: BMI, stratification of COVID-19 illness severity using a well-described
severity score calculator such as the CURB-65 or PSI for those with pulmonary manifestations,
indices used to assess disease activity of various autoimmune diseases, length of
immunosuppressive therapy use prior to COVID-19 diagnosis, and half-life of immunosuppressive
therapies used.