What are the main factors affecting the outcome of tocilizumab therapy in COVID-19-induced cytokine release syndrome?

OBJECTIVE: Recommendations for the treatment of cytokine release syndrome/macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) associated with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) are still of poor quality. IL-6 is an important therapeutic target as a main mediator of cytokine storm. The aim of our study was to evaluate the tocilizumab (TCZ) efficacy and factors affecting the therapy outcome. METHODS: This retrospective study included 27 patients treated with TCZ for COVID-19-MAS. All patients in this study were treated with TCZ (intravenously, at a dose of 8 mg kg1 ) in addition to standard therapy. Clinical improvement (survival and decreased oxygen demand) on the 10-14th days and secondary infection rate were assessed. RESULTS: In our 27 treated patients, 14 (51.8%) received TCZ in the intensive care unit (ICU) and seven (25.9%) were need to invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). Fifteen (55.6%) of these patients revealed a good clinical response (four patients discharge from the ICU and 11 patients who followed-up in nonICU beds showed a decrease in oxygen demand). TCZ was significantly less effective in patients having high Murray lung injury score, low PO2/FiO2 ratio, IMV, and ICU admission (P < .05). Severity of hypoxemia was found as a single independent risk factor in the multivariable analysis (P < .05). Secondary bacterial infections rate was significantly higher in intubated patients (P < .01) or treated in the ICU (P » .01). CONCLUSION: TCZ was showed limited efficacy for COVID-19-related MAS. The most important predictive indicator for therapy outcome was found as the severity of hypoxemia. In addition, IMV and/or ICU was associated with the poor outcome and high side effect. So, controlled trials are still needed to confirm the indications and timing of TCZ therapy.

Is there any effect of lower extremity deep vein thrombosis which proven by Doppler ultrasonography on cancer recurrence in patients with stage III colon cancer? A study of the Turkish Descriptive Oncological Researches Group.

This study aimed to determine the predictive value of lower extremity deep vein thrombosis (LE-DVT) on first cancer recurrence in patients with stage III colon cancer. A total of 113 eligible patients with stage III colon cancer were divided into two groups according to whether they had LE-DVT. LE-DVT was detected in 29 (26%) patients. Presence of recurrence with distant metastasis had a significant positive correlation with baseline platelet count, baseline mean platelet volume, and the presence of lower extremity deep vein thrombosis. It was concluded that the relation between disease progression and the presence of LE-DVT in stage III colon cancer is independent of other study variables (P=0.031; OR=4.27; 95% CI 1.89-6.71). We hypothesized that the presence of LE-DVT in patients with stage III colon cancer may predict to early cancer recurrence with distant metastasis.