Frontiers in Immunology (Jun 2022)

Persistent Antiphospholipid Antibodies Are Not Associated With Worse Clinical Outcomes in a Prospective Cohort of Hospitalised Patients With SARS-CoV-2 Infection

  • Gerard Espinosa,
  • Gerard Espinosa,
  • Carles Zamora-Martínez,
  • Albert Pérez-Isidro,
  • Albert Pérez-Isidro,
  • Daniela Neto,
  • Luz Yadira Bravo-Gallego,
  • Sergio Prieto-González,
  • Sergio Prieto-González,
  • Odette Viñas,
  • Ana Belen Moreno-Castaño,
  • Ana Belen Moreno-Castaño,
  • Estíbaliz Ruiz-Ortiz,
  • Estíbaliz Ruiz-Ortiz,
  • Ricard Cervera,
  • Ricard Cervera,
  • The COVAPS-CLINIC Study Group Investigators,
  • Alex Almuedo,
  • Giuseppe Barilaro,
  • Luz Yadira Bravo-Gallego,
  • Daniel Camprubí,
  • Júlia Calvo,
  • Aina Capdevila-Reniu,
  • Irene Carbonell,
  • Ricard Cervera,
  • Georgina Espígol-Frigolé,
  • Gerard Espinosa,
  • Cristina Gabara,
  • Priscila Giavedoni,
  • Ignacio Grafia,
  • Andrea Ladino,
  • Gema Maria Lledó-Ibáñez,
  • Ana Matas-García,
  • Pere Millat,
  • Pedro Juan Moreno,
  • Ana Belen Moreno-Castaño,
  • Magdalena Muelas,
  • José Muñoz,
  • José Naval,
  • Joan Padrosa,
  • Martina Pellicé,
  • María Jesús Pinazo,
  • Sergio Prieto-González,
  • Roberto Ríos-Garcés,
  • Natalia Rodríguez,
  • Olga Rodríguez-Núñez,
  • Estibaliz Ruiz-Ortiz,
  • Ruth Sotil,
  • Adrià Tomé,
  • Helena Ventosa,
  • Odette Viñas,
  • Carles Zamora-Martínez

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.911979
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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ObjectivePatients with COVID-19 presented with an elevated prevalence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) but the relationship with thrombosis is controversial. We analysed the persistence of aPL and their association with the clinical outcomes during hospitalisation in a cohort of COVID-19 patients.Patients and MethodsWe conducted a prospective study including consecutive hospitalised patients with COVID-19 from Hospital Clínic of Barcelona between March 28th and April 22nd, 2020. Clinical outcomes during hospitalisation were thrombosis, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and severe ventilatory failure. We determined both criteria and non-criteria aPL. Of note, in those patients with a positive result in the first determination, a second sample separated by at least 12 weeks was drawn to test the persistence of aPL.ResultsOne hundred and fifty-eight patients (59.5% men) with a mean age of 61.4 ± 14.9 years old were included. Thrombosis was present in 28 (17.7%) patients, severe respiratory failure in 47 (30.5%), and 30 (18.9%) patients were admitted to ICU. Sixteen (28.6%) patients were positive for the criteria aPL at both determinations and only two (3.6%) of them suffered from thrombosis during hospitalisations (both had aCL IgG). However, they presented with low titers of aCL. Of note, aPL were not related to thrombosis, ICU admission or severe respiratory failure.ConclusionAlthough aPL were prevalent in our cohort of hospitalised COVID-19 patients and they were persistent in half of tested patients, most determinations were at low titers and they were not related to worse clinical outcomes.

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