Background: Several studies have revealed the potential use of tocilizumab in treating COVID-19 since no therapy has yet been approved for COVID-19 pneumonia. Tocilizumab may provide clinical benefits for cytokine release syndrome in COVID-19 patients. Methods: We searched for relevant studies in PubMed, Embase, Medline, and Cochrane published from March to October 2020 to evaluate optimal use and baseline criteria for administration of tocilizumab in severe and critically ill COVID-19 patients. Research involving patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, treated with tocilizumab and compared with the standard of care (SOC) was included in this study. We conducted a systematic review to find data about the risks and benefits of tocilizumab and outcomes from different baseline criteria for administration of tocilizumab as a treatment for severe and critically ill COVID-19 patients. Results: A total of 26 studies, consisting of 23 retrospective studies, one prospective study, and two randomised controlled trials with 2112 patients enrolled in the tocilizumab group and 6160 patients in the SOC group, were included in this meta-analysis. Compared to the SOC, tocilizumab showed benefits for all-cause mortality events and a shorter time until death after first intervention but showed no difference in hospital length of stay. Upon subgroup analysis, tocilizumab showed fewer all-cause mortality events when CRP level ≥100 mg/L, P/F ratio 200-300 mmHg, and P/F ratio <200 mmHg. However, tocilizumab showed a longer length of stay when CRP <100 mg/L than the SOC. Conclusion: This meta-analysis demonstrated that tocilizumab has a positive effect on all-cause mortality. It should be cautiously administrated for optimal results and tailored to the patient's eligibility criteria.

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This study aimed to determine the burden of sepsis with focal infections in the resourcelimited context of Indonesia and to propose national prices for sepsis reimbursement. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted from 2013-2016 on cost of surviving and non-surviving sepsis patients from a payer perspective using inpatient billing records in four hospitals. The national burden of sepsis was calculated and proposed national prices for reimbursement were developed. Results: Of the 14,076 sepsis patients, 5,876 (41.7%) survived and 8,200 (58.3%) died. The mean hospital costs incurred per surviving and deceased sepsis patient were US$1,011 (SE AE 23.4) and US$1,406 (SE AE 27.8), respectively. The national burden of sepsis in 100,000 patients was estimated to be US$130 million. Sepsis patients with multifocal infections and a single focal lower-respiratory tract infection (LRTI) were estimated as being the two with the highest economic burden (US$48 million and US$33 million, respectively, within 100,000 sepsis patients). Sepsis with cardiovascular infection was estimated to warrant the highest proposed national price for reimbursement (US$4,256). Conclusions: Multifocal infections and LRTIs are the major focal infections with the highest burden of sepsis. This study showed varying cost estimates for sepsis, necessitating a new reimbursement system with adjustment of the national prices taking the particular foci into account.

BACKGROUND: Sleep deprivation is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) via sympathetic overstimulation and systemic inflammation in general population. However, the significance of poor sleep quality in chronic kidney disease (CKD) is still underexplored.METHODS: This study assessed the sleep quality of 39 with non-dialysis CKD (ND CKD) patients and 25 hemodialysis CKD (HD CKD) patients using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire. Poor sleeper was defined as individual with PSQI > 5.RESULTS: The prevalence of poor sleeper (30% vs. 60%, p=0.029) and the cummulative PSQI (ND CKD 4.5±4.4, HD CKD 8±6, p=0.038) are different between ND CKD and HD CKD groups. Among the ND CKD, there are association between short sleep duration (< 5 hours per day) with elevated diastolic blood pressure groups (r=0.421, p<0.05); habitual sleep efficiency with platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (r= 0.532, p<0.0001); daytime dysfunction with increased hs-CRP (r=0.345, p=0.032) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (r=0.320, p=0.046). In HD CKD group, a requirement to use sleep medication was associated with elevated highsensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) level (r=0.434, p=0.030) and decreased monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (r=- 0.410, p=0.042); daytime dysfunction was associated with serum hs-CRP (r=0.452, p=0.023).CONCLUSION: This study revealed that some features of poor sleep quality in CKD patients including low sleep efficiency, daytime dysfunction and requirement to use sleep medication were associated with increased diastolic blood pressure, hs-CRP and blood-count-based inflammatory predictors. Thus, this finding prompt to pay closer attention to sleep complaints in the management of CVD risk factors in CKD patients.KEYWORDS: sleep quality, chronic kidney disease, blood pressure, inflammation

BACKGROUND: Obesity is an important cardiovascular risk factor and associated with low grade inflammation in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. This study aims to assess the association between body fat with serum high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) level in CKD patients.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed in 71 CKD patients. Anthropometric measurements included body weight, height, body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage (BFP), skinfold thickness (SKF) of triceps and biceps were performed by trained physician. BFP was calculated using Kwok’s Formula and hs-CRP was measured by Particle enhanced Turbidimetry.RESULTS: The averaged BMI of our subjects was 25.8±4.4. There was no significant difference in BMI between pre-dialysis and hemodialysis CKD patients. Positive correlation was found between BFP and hs-CRP (r=0.266; p<0.05), while there was no significant correlation between BMI and hs-CRP.CONCLUSION: Body fat percentage was associated with hs-CRP. Hence, it will be more beneficial to assess nutritional status in CKD using BFP rather than BMI alone since it was demonstrated to correlate with hs-CRP in our studyKEYWORDS: CKD, obesity, inflammation, body fat, hs-CRP