Immunosuppression

In a new editorial, Leonard H. Calabrese, DO, chief medical editor of Healio Rheumatology, talks about issues that rheumatologists face in the era of COVID-19.

Patients who are immunosuppressed will “likely” need regular COVID-19 vaccine boosters in the future, according to Jeffrey R. Curtis, MD, MS, MPH, chair of the American College of Rheumatology COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Guidance Task Force.

Only 54% of solid organ transplant recipients demonstrate evidence of antibody development after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, according to data in a pair of research letters published in JAMA.

It is only natural that individuals taking immunosuppressive medications would fear COVID-19.

An intensified B-cell depletion induction therapy without maintenance immunosuppression was no less effective than standard of care for treating lupus nephritis, researchers found.

For kidney transplant recipients hospitalized with COVID-19, neither reducing nor withdrawing immunosuppression therapy led to allograft rejection or the development of donor-specific antibodies.

Data from Italy indicate the impact of COVID-19 is not greater for children with chronic kidney disease or immunosuppression compared with a pediatric cohort who have neither condition.

Legislation that would provide lifetime immunosuppressive drug coverage for patients who receive a kidney transplant regardless of age is heading for a House vote.

Moderate to high glucocorticoid use, defined as 10 mg per day or more, is associated with a greater risk for hospitalization for COVID-19 among patients with rheumatic disease, according to data published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

Patients with rheumatic diseases plus COVID-19 are more likely to require mechanical ventilation, but demonstrated similar clinical features and hospitalization rates as those with COVID-19 only, according to data published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.