Extracorporeal photopheresis in the treatment of the novel coronavirus disease COVID-19 (a case series)
Abstract
Rationale : Most people infected with SARS-CoV-2 have asymptomatic or minor clinical manifestations and recover without any aggressive therapy. However, there are patient categories in need of specific treatment and those at high risk of severe disease. Control of viremia with antiviral therapy may not be the best therapeutic strategy, since, in addition to substantial toxicity, antiviral agents can suppress the production of antiviral antibodies and disintegrate adoptive immunity against SARS-CoV-2. Due to a high correlation between the symptoms severity in patients with COVID-19 and inflammation, anti-inflammatory corticosteroids have been proposed to treat the disease. However, clinical data do not support the systemic administration of corticosteroids for the treatment of patients with severe COVID-19. Such treatment may have a negative effect due to suppression of the adoptive immune system. In this regard, the development or use of already available of agents that modulate inflammation without compromising the adoptive immune response could be the most effective therapeutic strategy. Aim: To evaluate clinical efficacy and safety of the cell biotherapy technique, the extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP), in the treatment of patients with moderately severe new coronavirus disease COVID-19. Materials and methods : The study included four patients (three women and one man, age 42 to 60 years), with SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by gene amplification. All patients had…
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Evidence Hub reads this as a case series, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
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