Background: As the novel SARS-CoV-2 pandemic occurred, no specific treatment was yet available. Inflammatory response secondary to viral infection might be the driver of severe diseases. We report the safety and efficacy (in terms of overall survival and hospital discharge) of the anti-IL6 tocilizumab (TCZ) in subjects with COVID-19. Methods: This retrospective, single-center analysis included all the patients consecutively admitted to our Hospital with severe or critical COVID-19 who started TCZ treatment from March 13th to April 03rd, 2020. A 1:2 matching to patients not treated with TCZ was performed according to age, sex, severity of disease, P/F, Charlson Comorbidity Index and length of time between symptoms onset and hospital admittance. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests to compare the groups were applied. Kaplan Meier probability curves and Cox regression models for survival, hospital discharge and orotracheal intubation were used. Results: Seventy-four patients treated with TCZ were matched with 148 matched controls. They were mainly males (81.5%), Caucasian (82.0%) and with a median age of 59 years. The majority (69.8%) showed critical stage COVID-19 disease. TCZ use was associated with a better overall survival (HR 0.499 [95% CI 0.262-0.952], p = 0.035) compared to controls but with a longer hospital stay (HR 1.658 [95% CI 1.088-2.524], p = 0.019) mainly due to biochemical, respiratory and infectious adverse events. Discussion: TCZ use resulted potentially effective on COVID-19 in terms of overall survival. Caution is warranted given the potential occurrence of adverse events. Financial support: Some of the tocilizumab doses used in the subjects included in this analysis were provided by the "Multicenter study on the efficacy and tolerability of tocilizumab in the treatment of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia" (EudraCT Number: 2020-001110-38) supported by the Italian National Agency for Drugs (AIFA). No specific funding support was planned for study design, data collection and analysis and manuscript writing of this paper.
Introduction of effective combined antiretroviral therapy has made human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection a chronic illness. Substantial reductions in the number of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome- (AIDS-) related deaths have been accompanied by an increase in liver-related morbidity and mortality. Liver diseases rank in the first three most-common causes of death in HIV-infected persons. Mortality is mainly due to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma induced by hepatitis C virus and hepatitis B virus coinfection. However, antiretroviral drugs toxicity also plays a role. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a common cause of liver injury as well. Nevertheless, alcohol consumption probably plays a pivotal role. Noncirrhotic portal hypertension, an uncommon condition observed in less than 1% of patients, is increasingly described. Finally, acute hepatitis A virus (HAV) and acute and even chronic hepatitis E virus infection have also been reported as causes of liver damage in HIV. Anti-HAV vaccination is thus recommended in persons at risk living with HIV.
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