COVID-19 Impact on Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Patients

Abstract

(1) Background: Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a blood dyscrasia that accounts for about 20% of all leukemia cases. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are used as first line treatment of CML. The 2019 SARS-CoV-2 outbreak raised new concerns for CML patients, such as whether CML increases the risk of contracting COVID-19, whether TKIs increase that risk, whether these drugs are safe to use during the infection, and whether any other hematologic parameters influence infection outcomes. (2) Methods: In our study we addressed these intriguing questions by using a retrospective analysis of 51 CML patients treated at the Ion Chiricuta Cancer Center, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of currently approved COVID-19 vaccines in our CML patients treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors. (3) Results: Our results have shown that hemoglobin level upon diagnosis of CML has been the only hematologic parameter correlated to the risk of contracting COVID-19 in our CML patients. (4) Conclusions: TKI treatment did not negatively influence COVID-19 risk or the response to the vaccine in our patients. The safety profile of the currently approved COVID-19 vaccines was similar to that of the general population.

Literature-Based Discovery to Elucidate the Biological Links between Resistant Hypertension and COVID-19

“…While most clinicians associate the presence of BCR-ABL fusion gene with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), about 10% of healthy control patients express at least some measurable copies in their peripheral blood [ 97 ]. Prior work relating COVID-19 to CML concisely summarizes the role of the gene in upregulating fusion transcripts and proteins, ultimately intensifying the presence and activity of tyrosine kinase within the body [ 98 ]. Recent extensive investigation of tyrosine kinase has revealed its direct association in vasculopathy as well as its antihypertensive properties from its interactions with endothelial receptors [ 99 ].…”

“…Prior work relating COVID-19 to CML concisely summarizes the role of the gene in upregulating fusion transcripts and proteins, ultimately intensifying the presence and activity of tyrosine kinase within the body [98]. Recent extensive investigation of tyrosine kinase has revealed its direct association in vasculopathy as well as its antihypertensive properties from its interactions with endothelial receptors [99].…”