Microorganisms (Apr 2021)
A Phase II Study on the Use of Convalescent Plasma for the Treatment of Severe COVID-19- A Propensity Score-Matched Control Analysis
- Vasiliki Pappa,
- Anthi Bouchla,
- Evangelos Terpos,
- Thomas P. Thomopoulos,
- Margherita Rosati,
- Dimitris Stellas,
- Anastasia Antoniadou,
- Andreas Mentis,
- Sotirios G. Papageorgiou,
- Marianna Politou,
- Anastasia Kotanidou,
- Ioannis Kalomenidis,
- Garyfalia Poulakou,
- Edison Jahaj,
- Eleni Korompoki,
- Sotiria Grigoropoulou,
- Xintao Hu,
- Jenifer Bear,
- Sevasti Karaliota,
- Robert Burns,
- Maria Pagoni,
- Ioannis Trontzas,
- Elisavet Grouzi,
- Stavroula Labropoulou,
- Kostantinos Stamoulis,
- Aristotelis Bamias,
- Sotirios Tsiodras,
- Barbara K. Felber,
- George N. Pavlakis,
- Meletios- Athanasios Dimopoulos
Affiliations
- Vasiliki Pappa
- Hematology Unit, Second Propaedeutic Department of Internal Medicine and Research Institute, School of Medicine National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University General Hospital “Attikon”, 18120 Athens, Greece
- Anthi Bouchla
- Hematology Unit, Second Propaedeutic Department of Internal Medicine and Research Institute, School of Medicine National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University General Hospital “Attikon”, 18120 Athens, Greece
- Evangelos Terpos
- Department of Clinical Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11528 Athens, Greece
- Thomas P. Thomopoulos
- Hematology Unit, Second Propaedeutic Department of Internal Medicine and Research Institute, School of Medicine National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University General Hospital “Attikon”, 18120 Athens, Greece
- Margherita Rosati
- Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702-1201, USA
- Dimitris Stellas
- Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702-1201, USA
- Anastasia Antoniadou
- Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, University General Hospital “Attikon”, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
- Andreas Mentis
- National Influenza Reference Laboratory of Southern Greece, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521 Athens, Greece
- Sotirios G. Papageorgiou
- Hematology Unit, Second Propaedeutic Department of Internal Medicine and Research Institute, School of Medicine National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University General Hospital “Attikon”, 18120 Athens, Greece
- Marianna Politou
- Hematology Laboratory-Blood Bank, Aretaieion Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11528 Athens, Greece
- Anastasia Kotanidou
- First Department of Critical Care Medicine and Pulmonary Services, Evangelismos General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
- Ioannis Kalomenidis
- First Department of Critical Care Medicine and Pulmonary Services, Evangelismos General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
- Garyfalia Poulakou
- 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Sotiria General Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
- Edison Jahaj
- First Department of Critical Care Medicine and Pulmonary Services, Evangelismos General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
- Eleni Korompoki
- Department of Clinical Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11528 Athens, Greece
- Sotiria Grigoropoulou
- Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, University General Hospital “Attikon”, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
- Xintao Hu
- Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
- Jenifer Bear
- Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
- Sevasti Karaliota
- Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702-1201, USA
- Robert Burns
- Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
- Maria Pagoni
- Haematology-Lymphomas Department and BMT Unit, Evangelismos Hospital, 10676 Athens, Greece
- Ioannis Trontzas
- 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Sotiria General Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
- Elisavet Grouzi
- Transfusion Service and Clinical Hemostasis of Saint Savvas, Oncology Hospital of Athens, 11522 Athens, Greece
- Stavroula Labropoulou
- National Influenza Reference Laboratory of Southern Greece, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521 Athens, Greece
- Kostantinos Stamoulis
- Hellenic National Blood Transfusion Center, 13678 Athens, Greece
- Aristotelis Bamias
- Hematology Unit, Second Propaedeutic Department of Internal Medicine and Research Institute, School of Medicine National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University General Hospital “Attikon”, 18120 Athens, Greece
- Sotirios Tsiodras
- Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, University General Hospital “Attikon”, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
- Barbara K. Felber
- Human Retrovirus Pathogenesis Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
- George N. Pavlakis
- Human Retrovirus Section, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702-1201, USA
- Meletios- Athanasios Dimopoulos
- Department of Clinical Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11528 Athens, Greece
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9040806
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 9,
no. 4
p. 806
Abstract
COVID-19 is a global pandemic associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Convalescent plasma (CP) infusion is a strategy of potential therapeutic benefit. We conducted a multicenter phase II study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CP in patients with COVID-19, grade 4 or higher. To evaluate the efficacy of CP, a matched propensity score analysis was used comparing the intervention (n = 59) to a control group (n = 59). Sixty patients received CP within a median time of 7 days from symptom onset. During a median follow-up of 28.5 days, 56/60 patients fully recovered and 1 patient remained in the ICU. The death rate in the CP group was 3.4% vs. 13.6% in the control group. By multivariate analysis, CP recipients demonstrated a significantly reduced risk of death [HR: 0.04 (95% CI: 0.004–0.36), p: 0.005], significantly better overall survival by Kaplan–Meir analysis (p p: 0.006]. Higher levels of antibodies in the CP were independently associated with significantly reduced risk of death. CP infusion was safe with only one grade 3 adverse event (AE), which easily resolved. CP used early may be a safe and effective treatment for patients with severe COVID-19 (trial number NCT04408209).
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