EuCARE-POSTCOVID Study: a multicentre cohort study on long-term post-COVID-19 manifestations.

BACKGROUND: Post-COVID-19 condition refers to persistent or new onset symptoms occurring three months after acute COVID-19, which are unrelated to alternative diagnoses. Symptoms include fatigue, breathlessness, palpitations, pain, concentration difficulties ("brain fog"), sleep disorders, and anxiety/depression. The prevalence of post-COVID-19 condition ranges widely across studies, affecting 10-20% of patients and reaching 50-60% in certain cohorts, while the associated risk factors remain poorly understood. METHODS: This multicentre cohort study, both retrospective and prospective, aims to assess the incidence and risk factors of post-COVID-19 condition in a cohort of recovered patients. Secondary objectives include evaluating the association between circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants and the risk of post-COVID-19 condition, as well as assessing long-term residual organ damage (lung, heart, central nervous system, peripheral nervous system) in relation to patient characteristics and virology (variant and viral load during the acute phase). Participants will include hospitalised and outpatient COVID-19 patients diagnosed between 01/03/2020 and 01/02/2025 from 8 participating centres. A control group will consist of hospitalised patients with respiratory infections other than COVID-19 during the same period. Patients will be followed up at the post-COVID-19 clinic of each centre at 2-3, 6-9, and 12-15 months after clinical recovery. Routine blood exams will be conducted, and patients will complete questionnaires to assess persisting symptoms, fatigue, dyspnoea, quality of life, disability, anxiety and depression, and post-traumatic stress disorders. DISCUSSION: This study aims to understand post-COVID-19 syndrome's incidence and predictors by comparing pandemic waves, utilising retrospective and prospective data. Gender association, especially the potential higher prevalence in females, will be investigated. Symptom tracking via questionnaires and scales will monitor duration and evolution. Questionnaires will also collect data on vaccination, reinfections, and new health issues. Biological samples will enable future studies on post-COVID-19 sequelae mechanisms, including inflammation, immune dysregulation, and viral reservoirs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study has been registered with ClinicalTrials.gov under the identifier NCT05531773.

Impairment of platelet function in both mild and severe COVID-19 patients.

Abnormalities of platelet function were reported in patients with severe COVID-19 (severe-C), but few data are available in patients with mild COVID-19 (mild-C) and after COVID-19 recovery. The aim of this study was to investigate platelet parameters in mild-C patients (n = 51), with no evidence of pneumonia, and severe-C patients (n = 49), during the acute phase and after recovery, compared to 43 healthy controls. Both mild-C and severe-C patients displayed increased circulating activated platelets, low δ-granule content (ADP, serotonin), impaired platelet activation by collagen (light transmission aggregometry) and impaired platelet thrombus formation on collagen-coated surfaces under controlled flow conditions (300/s shear rate). The observed abnormalities were more marked in severe-C patients than in mild-C patients. Overall, 61% (30/49) of mild-C and 73% (33/45) of severe-C patients displayed at least one abnormal platelet parameter. In a subgroup of just 13 patients who showed no persisting signs/symptoms of COVID-19 and were re-evaluated at least 1 month after recovery, 11 of the 13 subjects exhibited normalization of platelet parameters. In conclusion, mild abnormalities of platelet parameters were present not only in severe-C but also, albeit to a lesser extent, in mild-C patients during the acute phase of COVID-19 and normalized in most tested patients after clinical recovery.

Is HCV elimination among persons living with HIV feasible? Data from the NoCo study in the setting of the ICONA cohort.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Whether the HCV test-and-treat strategy impacted on the rate of new HCV infections among PLWH in Italy is unknown. METHODS: Prospective study of PLWH in the ICONA network. At baseline, PLWH were tested for HCV-Ab; HCV-RNA (if HCV-Ab positive) and, if positive, treated with DAA. SVR12 indicated eradication. Seroconversions and re-infections were evaluated yearly in HCV-Ab neg and HCV-RNA neg at first screening. We estimated the following: HCV seroconversions, incidence of HCV reinfections, and access to DAA and SVR12 rates tighter with factors associated with each outcome. Data were analysed by Cox regression, Poisson regression and logistic regression models. RESULTS: Sixteen thousand seven hundred and forty-three PLWH were included; 27.3% HCV-Ab positive; of these, 39.3% HCV-RNA positive. HCV seroconversion incidence: .48/100 PYFU (95% CI: .36-.65); re-infections incidence: 1.40/100 PYFU (95% CI: .91-2.04). The risk factor for HCV re-infection was young age: aIRR 1.85, 95% CI: 1.17-2.95) per 10 years younger. 86.4% of HCV viremic in follow-up started DAA. PWID vs. heterosexuals (aHR .75, 95% CI .62-.90), HIV-RNA >50 copies/mL (aHR .70, 95% CI .56-.87), HCV genotype other than G1, G2, G3, G4 or with multiple/missing HCV genotype and post-COVID-19 calendar periods were associated with lower DAA access. 922/965 (95.5%) PLWH achieved SVR12. We estimated 72% reduction of chance to achieve SVR12 in PLWH with a CD4 count <200/mm3 (vs. CD4 ≥200/mm3 aOR .18, 95% CI: .07-.46). 95.5% of DAA-treated individuals eradicated HCV, but they represent only 53.2% of HCV viremic PLWH and 66.4% of those in follow-up. HCV-RNA positivity by year decreased from 41.7% in 2017 to 11.7% in 2022. CONCLUSIONS: The screening-and-treat campaign implemented in Italy, even if only partially effective, resulted in a dramatic drop in HCV circulation in our cohort.

HIV-Indicator Condition Guided Testing in a Hospital Setting.

Late diagnosis is still a major issue in HIV infection management, leading to important consequences for both patients and community. In this perspective, HIV screening targeted on some clinical conditions (HIV indicator conditions-HIVICs) emerged as a useful strategy, also involving patients not considered at high behavioral risk. We organized an in-hospital HIVICs guided screening campaign named ICEBERG in Milan, Italy, between 2019 and 2021. Among the 520 subjects enrolled, mainly presenting with viral hepatitis or mononucleosis-like syndrome, 20 resulted HIV positive (3.8% prevalence). A significant proportion of them had multiple conditions and advanced immunosuppression, with 40% being AIDS-presenters. As adherence to the screening campaign was modest for non-ID specialists, educational interventions to raise clinicians' sensitivity are urgently needed. HIV-ICs guided testing was confirmed as a useful tool, but a combined approach with other screening strategies seems to be essential for early HIV diagnosis.

Long-term outcome of dolutegravir-containing regimens according to sex: data from the ICONA study.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the long-term risk of treatment failure of dolutegravir-based ART in men and women in a real-life setting. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Persons living with HIV (PLWH) from the ICONA cohort were included if they had started dolutegravir in a two- or three-drug regimen as ART-naive or as virologically controlled ART-experienced. The primary endpoint was time to treatment failure (virological/clinical failure or dolutegravir discontinuation). Secondary endpoints were: time to dolutegravir discontinuation due to toxicity and to neuropsychiatric adverse events; and time to virological failure. Cox regression analyses focused on differences in outcomes by sex. RESULTS: A total of 2304 PLWH (15% women) initiated dolutegravir-based therapy from ART-naive, and 1916 (19.8% women) while experienced. After a median follow-up of 2.2 (IQR: 0.9-3.9) years in ART-naive and 2.4 (IQR: 1.1-4.3) years in experienced, the 4-year cumulative probability of treatment failure was 33% (95% CI 30.5-35.1) and 20% (95% CI 17.8-22.3), respectively. In the multivariable analyses, in ART-naive the risk of treatment failure was higher for women, but not different after excluding women discontinuing dolutegravir for pregnancy concerns. We also observed a higher risk of discontinuation for toxicity in women (ART-naives: Adjusted Hazard Ratio (AHR): 1.56%; 95% CI: 1.03-2.37; ART-experienced: AHR: 1.53%; 95% CI: 1.01-2.32), although the absolute 4-year probability was low: 7.7% (95% CI 6.5-9.2) in ART-naive and 8.3% (95% CI 6.9-9.9) in experienced. CONCLUSIONS: In our cohort of PLWH treated with dolutegravir-based regimens and followed up for up to 4 years, we observed a low risk of treatment failure and no evidence for a difference by sex, after excluding discontinuation due to pregnancy concerns. However, we observed a higher risk of dolutegravir discontinuation for toxicity in women.

Growth Differentiation Factor 15 (GDF-15) Levels Associate with Lower Survival in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients with COVID-19.

A cytokine storm drives the pathogenesis of severe COVID-19 infection and several biomarkers have been linked to mortality. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) emerged as a risk factor for severe COVID-19. We investigated the association between selected biomarkers and mortality in 77 patients hospitalized for COVID-19, and whether they differ in patients with eGFR higher and lower than 45 mL/min. The association between patients' characteristics, plasma biomarkers and mortality was conducted by univariate logistic regression models and independent predictors of mortality were then used to create a multivariate prediction model through Cox regression. Patients with lower eGFR had a significant increase of GDF-15, CD-25 and RAGE, with higher plasma levels in non-survivors and in patients who needed ventilation. At univariate analysis, low and mid-low GDF-15 quartiles (<4.45 ng/mL) were associated with lower mortality risk, while mid-high and high quartiles (>4.45 ng/mL) were associated with higher mortality risk. Independent association between GDF-15 quartiles and mortality risk was confirmed in the Cox model and adjusted for eGFR, age, fever and dyspnea (HR 2.28, CI 1.53−3.39, p < 0.0001). The strength of the association between GDF-15 quartiles and mortality risk increased in patients with lower compared to higher eGFR (HR 2.53, CI 1.34−4.79 versus HR 1.99, CI 1.17−3.39). Our findings may suggest a further investigation of the effect of GDF-15 signaling pathway inhibition in CKD.

Cytokine and Chemokine Retention Profile in COVID-19 Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients are more susceptible to infections compared to the general population. SARS-CoV-2 virus pathology is characterized by a cytokine storm responsible for the systemic inflammation typical of the COVID-19 disease. Since CKD patients have a reduced renal clearance, we decided to investigate whether they accumulate harmful mediators during the COVID-19 disease. We conducted a retrospective study on 77 COVID-19 hospitalized subjects in the acute phase of the illness. Thirteen different cytokines were assessed in plasma collected upon hospitalization. The patients were divided into three groups according to their estimated glomerular filtration rate, eGFR &lt; 30 (n = 23), 30 &lt; eGFR &lt; 60 (n = 33), eGFR &gt; 60 mL/min (n = 21). We found that Tumor Necrosis Factor α and its receptors I and II, Interleukin-7, Leukemia Inhibitory Factor, FAS receptor, Chitinase 3-like I, and the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor showed an increased accumulation that negatively correlate with eGFR. Moreover, non-survivor patients with an impaired kidney function have significantly more elevated levels of the same mediators. In conclusion, there is a tendency in COVID-19 ESRD patients to accumulate harmful cytokines. The accumulation seems to associate with mortality outcomes and may be due to reduced clearance but also to increased biosynthesis in most severe cases.

Declining Mortality Rate of Hospitalised Patients in the Second Wave of the COVID-19 Epidemics in Italy: Risk Factors and the Age-Specific Patterns.

BACKGROUND: Mortality rate from COVID-19 in Italy is among the world's highest. We aimed to ascertain whether there was any reduction of in-hospital mortality in patients hospitalised for COVID-19 in the second-wave period (October 2020-January 2021) compared to the first one (February-May 2020); further, we verified whether there were clusters of hospitalised patients who particularly benefitted from reduced mortality rate. METHODS: Data collected related to in-patients' demographics, clinical, laboratory, therapies and outcome. Primary end-point was time to in-hospital death. Factors associated were evaluated by uni- and multivariable analyses. A flow diagram was created to determine the rate of in-hospital death according to individual and disease characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 1561 patients were included. The 14-day cumulative incidence of in-hospital death by competing risk regression was of 24.8% (95% CI: 21.3-28.5) and 15.9% (95% CI: 13.7-18.2) in the first and second wave. We observed that the highest relative reduction of death from first to second wave (more than 47%) occurred mainly in the clusters of patients younger than 70 years. CONCLUSIONS: Progress in care and supporting therapies did affect population over 70 years to a lesser extent. Preventive and vaccination campaigns should focus on individuals whose risk of death from COVID-19 remains high.

Anomalous dynamics and the choice of Poincaré recurrence set.

We investigate the dependence of Poincaré recurrence-time statistics on the choice of recurrence set by sampling the dynamics of two- and four-dimensional Hamiltonian maps. We derive a method that allows us to visualize the direct relation between the shape of a recurrence set and the values of its return probability distribution in arbitrary phase-space dimensions. Such a procedure, which is shown to be quite effective in the detection of tiny regions of regular motion, allows us to explain why similar recurrence sets have very different distributions and how to modify them in order to enhance their return probabilities. Applied to data, this enables us to understand the coexistence of extremely long, transient powerlike decays whose anomalous exponent depends on the chosen recurrence set.