Authors
Valentina Morena, Laura Milazzo, Letizia Oreni, Giovanna Bestetti, Tommaso Fossali, Cinzia Bassoli, Alessandro Torre, Maria Vittoria Cossu, Caterina Minari, Elisabetta Ballone, Andrea Perotti, Davide Mileto, Fosca Niero, Stefania Merli, Antonella Foschi, Stefania Vimercati, Giuliano Rizzardini, Salvatore Sollima, Lucia Bradanini, Laura Galimberti, Riccardo Colombo, Valeria Micheli, Cristina Negri, Anna Lisa Ridolfo, Luca Meroni, Massimo Galli, Spinello Antinori, Mario Corbellino
Publication date
2020/6/1
Journal
European journal of internal medicine
Volume
76
Pages
36-42
Publisher
Elsevier
Description
Background
Tocilizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody, targets IL-6 receptors blocking downstream pro-inflammatory effects of IL-6. In preliminary reports it was suggested to be beneficial in patients with severe COVID-19.
Methods
In this open-label prospective study we describe clinical characteristics and outcome of 51 patients hospitalized with confirmed and severe COVID-19 pneumonia treated with tocilizumab intravenously. All patients had elevated IL-6 plasma level (>40 pg/mL) and oxygen saturation <93% in ambient air. Clinical outcomes, oxygen support, laboratory data and adverse events were collected over a follow-up of 30 days.
Results
Forty-five patients (88%) were on high-flow oxygen supplementation, six of whom with invasive ventilation. From baseline to day 7 after tocilizumab we observed a dramatic drop of body temperature and CRP value with a significant increase in lymphocyte count (p …
Scholar articles
V Morena, L Milazzo, L Oreni, G Bestetti, T Fossali… - European journal of internal medicine, 2020