Clinical characteristics and disease course before and after SARS-CoV-2 infection in a large cohort of systemic sclerosis patients

Authors

Aslıhan Avanoğlu GÜLERFollow
Büşra ÖZÇİMENFollow
Mesude Seda AYDOĞDUFollow
Alper SARIFollow
Aliyeva NUMUNEFollow
Nazife Tüzün ERSANFollow
Seda ÇOLAKFollow
Hazan KARADENİZFollow
İbrahim VASİFollow
Hamit KÜÇÜKFollow
Yasemin YALÇINKAYAFollow
Abdulsamet ERDENFollow
Mehmet KAYAALPFollow
Mehmet Akif ÖZTÜRKFollow
Berna GÖKERFollow
Ahmet OMMAFollow
Sedat YILMAZFollow
Süleyman Serdar KOCAFollow
Murat İNANÇFollow
Ali AKDOĞANFollow
Abdurrahman TUFANFollow

DOI

10.55730/1300-0144.5768

Abstract

The objective of this study is to evaluate the clinical presentations and adverse outcomes of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and assess the impact of SSc features on the clinical course of COVID-19.Materials and methods: In this multicenter, retrospective study, SSc patients with COVID-19 were included. Clinical features of SSc, along with detailed COVID-19 data, were extracted from medical records and patient interviews.Results: The study included 112 patients (mean age 51.4 ± 12.8 years; 90.2% female). SSc-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD) was evident in 57.1% of the patients. The findings revealed hospitalization in 25.5%, respiratory support in 16.3%, intensive care unit admission in 3.6%, and a mortality rate of 2.7% among SSc patients with COVID-19. Risk factors for respiratory failure, identified through univariate analysis, included ILD (OR: 7.49, 95% CI: 1.63–34.46), ≥1 comorbidity (OR: 4.55, 95% CI: 1.39–14.88), a higher physician global assessment score at the last outpatient visit (OR 2.73, 95% CI: 1.22–6.10), and the use of mycophenolate at the time of infection (OR: 5.16, 95 %CI: 1.79–14.99). Notably, ≥1 comorbidity emerged as the sole significant predictor of the need for respiratory support in COVID-19 (OR: 5.78, 95% CI: 1.14–29.23). In the early post-COVID-19 period, 17% of patients reported the progression of the Raynaud phenomenon, and 10.6% developed new digital ulcers. Furthermore, progression or new onset of dyspnea and cough were detected in 28.3% and 11.4% of patients, respectively.Conclusion: This study suggests a potential association between adverse outcomes of COVID-19 and SSc-related ILD, severe disease activity, and the use of mycophenolate. Additionally, it highlights that having comorbidities is an independent risk factor for the need for respiratory support in COVID-19 cases.

Keywords

Systemic sclerosis, COVID-19, interstitial lung disease, outcome, respiratory support

First Page

76

Last Page

85

Recommended Citation

GÜLER, Aslıhan Avanoğlu; ÖZÇİMEN, Büşra; AYDOĞDU, Mesude Seda; SARI, Alper; NUMUNE, Aliyeva; ERSAN, Nazife Tüzün; ÇOLAK, Seda; KARADENİZ, Hazan; VASİ, İbrahim; KÜÇÜK, Hamit; YALÇINKAYA, Yasemin; ERDEN, Abdulsamet; KAYAALP, Mehmet; ÖZTÜRK, Mehmet Akif; GÖKER, Berna; OMMA, Ahmet; YILMAZ, Sedat; KOCA, Süleyman Serdar; İNANÇ, Murat; AKDOĞAN, Ali; and TUFAN, Abdurrahman (2024) "Clinical characteristics and disease course before and after SARS-CoV-2 infection in a large cohort of systemic sclerosis patients," Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences: Vol. 54: No. 1, Article 10. https://doi.org/10.55730/1300-0144.5768
Available at: https://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/medical/vol54/iss1/10