Analysis of acute COVID-19 including chronic morbidity: protocol for the deep phenotyping National Pandemic Cohort Network in Germany (NAPKON-HAP).

BACKGROUND: The severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic causes a high burden of acute and long-term morbidity and mortality worldwide despite global efforts in containment, prophylaxis, and therapy. With unprecedented speed, the global scientific community has generated pivotal insights into the pathogen and the host response evoked by the infection. However, deeper characterization of the pathophysiology and pathology remains a high priority to reduce morbidity and mortality of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: NAPKON-HAP is a multi-centered prospective observational study with a long-term follow-up phase of up to 36 months post-SARS-CoV-2 infection. It constitutes a central platform for harmonized data and biospecimen for interdisciplinary characterization of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection and long-term outcomes of diverging disease severities of hospitalized patients. RESULTS: Primary outcome measures include clinical scores and quality of life assessment captured during hospitalization and at outpatient follow-up visits to assess acute and chronic morbidity. Secondary measures include results of biomolecular and immunological investigations and assessment of organ-specific involvement during and post-COVID-19 infection. NAPKON-HAP constitutes a national platform to provide accessibility and usability of the comprehensive data and biospecimen collection to global research. CONCLUSION: NAPKON-HAP establishes a platform with standardized high-resolution data and biospecimen collection of hospitalized COVID-19 patients of different disease severities in Germany. With this study, we will add significant scientific insights and provide high-quality data to aid researchers to investigate COVID-19 pathophysiology, pathology, and chronic morbidity.

Immune signatures of checkpoint inhibitor-induced autoimmunity-A focus on neurotoxicity.

BACKGROUND: Neurologic immune-related adverse events (irAE-n) are rare but severe toxicities of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment. To overcome diagnostic and therapeutic challenges, a better mechanistic understanding of irAE-n is paramount. METHODS: In this observational cohort study, we collected serum and peripheral blood samples from 34 consecutive cancer patients with irAE-n (during acute illness) and 49 cancer control patients without irAE-n (pre- and on-ICI treatment, n = 44 without high-grade irAEs, n = 5 with high-grade nonneurologic irAEs). Patients received either anti-programmed cell death protein (PD)-1 or anti-PD ligand-1 monotherapy or anti-PD-1/anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein-4 combination therapy. Most common cancers were melanoma, lung cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Peripheral blood immune profiling was performed using 48-marker single-cell mass cytometry and a multiplex cytokine assay. RESULTS: During acute illness, patients with irAE-n presented higher frequencies of cluster of differentiation (CD)8+ effector memory type (EM-)1 and central memory (CM) T cells compared to controls without irAEs. Multiorgan immunotoxicities (neurologic + nonneurologic) were associated with higher CD8+ EM1 T cell counts. While there were no B cell changes in the overall cohort, we detected a marked decrease of IgD- CD11c+ CD21low and IgD- CD24+ CD21high B cells in a subgroup of patients with autoantibody-positive irAE-n. We further identified signatures indicative of enhanced chemotaxis and inflammation in irAE-n patients and discovered C-X-C motif chemokine ligand (CXCL)10 as a promising marker to diagnose high-grade immunotoxicities such as irAE-n. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate profound and partly subgroup-specific immune cell dysregulation in irAE-n patients, which may guide future biomarker development and targeted treatment approaches.

Functional limitations 12 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection correlate with initial disease severity: An observational study of cardiopulmonary exercise capacity testing in COVID-19 convalescents.

BACKGROUND: Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET) provides a comprehensive assessment of pulmonary, cardiovascular and musculosceletal function. Reduced CPET performance could be an indicator for chronic morbidity after COVID-19. METHODS: Patients ≥18 years with confirmed PCR positive SARS-CoV-2 infection were offered to participate in a prospective observational study of clinical course and outcomes of COVID-19. 54 patients completed CPET, questionnaires on respiratory quality of life and performed pulmonary function tests 12 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. RESULTS: At 12 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection, 46.3% of participants had a peak performance and 33.3% a peak oxygen uptake of <80% of the predicted values, respectively. Further impairments were observed in diffusion capacity and ventilatory efficiency. Functional limitations were particularly pronounced in patients after invasive mechanical ventilation and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment. Ventilatory capacity was reduced <80% of predicted values in 55.6% of participants, independent from initial clinical severity. Patient reported dyspnea and respiratory quality of life after COVID-19 correlated with CPET performance and parameters of gas exchange. Risk factors for reduced CPET performance 12 months after COVID-19 were prior intensive care treatment (OR 5.58, p = 0.004), SGRQ outcome >25 points (OR 3.48, p = 0.03) and reduced DLCO (OR 3.01, p = 0.054). CONCLUSIONS: Functional limitations causing chronic morbidity in COVID-19 survivors persist over 12 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. These limitations were particularly seen in parameters of overall performance and gas exchange resulting from muscular deconditioning and lung parenchymal changes. Patient reported reduced respiratory quality of life was a risk factor for adverse CPET performance.

Severity of respiratory failure and computed chest tomography in acute COVID-19 correlates with pulmonary function and respiratory symptoms after infection with SARS-CoV-2: An observational longitudinal study over 12 months.

INTRODUCTION: Prospective and longitudinal data on pulmonary injury over one year after acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are sparse. We aim to determine reductions in pulmonary function and respiratory related quality of life up to 12 months after acute COVID-19. METHODS: Patients with acute COVID-19 were enrolled into an ongoing single-centre, prospective observational study and prospectively examined 6 weeks, 3, 6 and 12 months after onset of COVID-19 symptoms. Chest CT-scans, pulmonary function and symptoms assessed by St. Georges Respiratory Questionnaire were used to evaluate respiratory limitations. Patients were stratified according to severity of acute COVID-19. RESULTS: Median age of all patients was 57 years, 37.8% were female. Higher age, male sex and higher BMI were associated with acute-COVID-19 severity (p < 0.0001, 0.001 and 0.004 respectively). Also, pulmonary restriction and reduced carbon monoxide diffusion capacity was associated with disease severity. In patients with restriction and impaired diffusion capacity, FVC improved over 12 months from 61.32 to 71.82, TLC from 68.92 to 76.95, DLCO from 60.18 to 68.98 and KCO from 81.28 to 87.80 (percent predicted values; p = 0.002, 0.045, 0.0002 and 0.0005). The CT-score of lung involvement in the acute phase was associated with restriction and reduction in diffusion capacity in follow-up. Respiratory symptoms improved for patients in higher severity groups during follow-up, but not for patients with initially mild disease. CONCLUSION: Severity of respiratory failure during COVID-19 correlates with the degree of pulmonary function impairment and respiratory quality of life in the year after acute infection.

Evaluation of PEEP and prone positioning in early COVID-19 ARDS.

BACKGROUND: In face of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID)-19 pandemic, best practice for mechanical ventilation in COVID-19 associated Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is intensely debated. Specifically, the rationale for high positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) and prone positioning in early COVID-19 ARDS has been questioned. METHODS: The first 23 consecutive patients with COVID-19 associated respiratory failure transferred to a single ICU were assessed. Eight were excluded: five were not invasively ventilated and three received veno-venous ECMO support. The remaining 15 were assessed over the first 15 days of mechanical ventilation. Best PEEP was defined by maximal oxygenation and was determined by structured decremental PEEP trials comprising the monitoring of oxygenation, airway pressures and trans-pulmonary pressures. In nine patients the impact of prone positioning on oxygenation was investigated. Additionally, the effects of high PEEP and prone positioning on pulmonary opacities in serial chest x-rays were determined by applying a semiquantitative scoring-system. This investigation is part of the prospective observational PA-COVID-19 study. FINDINGS: Patients responded to initiation of invasive high PEEP ventilation with markedly improved oxygenation, which was accompanied by reduced pulmonary opacities within 6 h of mechanical ventilation. Decremental PEEP trials confirmed the need for high PEEP (17.9 (SD ± 3.9) mbar) for optimal oxygenation, while driving pressures remained low. Prone positioning substantially increased oxygenation (p<0.01). INTERPRETATION: In early COVID-19 ARDS, substantial PEEP values were required for optimizing oxygenation. Pulmonary opacities resolved during mechanical ventilation with high PEEP suggesting recruitment of lung volume. FUNDING: German Research Foundation, German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.