Journal Article

COVID-19 severity and mortality in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a joint study by ERIC, the European Research Initiative on CLL, and CLL Campus

Laurenti Luca, Motta, Marina, Enrico, Alicia, dos Santos Gimena, De Paoli Lorenzo, Ghia Paolo, Cuéllar-García, Carolina, Talha, Munir, Doubek, Michael, Van Der Spek Ellen, Niemann, Carsten U, Quaresmini Giulia, Janssens, Ann, Gimeno, Eva, Trentin Livio, Ortiz, Pareja Macarena, Popov, Viola Maria, Stavroyianni Niki, Marasca Roberto, Gentile, Massimo, Rigolin, Gian Matteo, Barna Gabor, Rossi, Giuseppe, Dimou, Maria, Malerba Lara, Jaksic Ozren, Ferrari, Angela, Stamatopoulos Kostas, Lista Enrico, Nikitin, Eugene, Rambaldi Alessandro, Itchaki Gilad, Shah, Nimish, Tam, Constantine, Coscia, Marta, Vandenberghe, Elisabeth, Šimkovič Martin, Del Poeta Giovanni, Kater, Arnon P, Delgado, Julio, Farina, Lucia, Vitale Candida, Wasik-Szczepanek Ewa, Hakobyan Yervand, Hernández-Rivas, José Ángel, Varettoni Marzia, Scarfò Lydia, Rossi, Davide, Iyengar Sunil, Marchetti Monia, Chatzikonstantinou, Thomas, Mirás Fatima, Ruchlemer Rosa, Martin, Andres, Foà Robin, Yassin, Mohamed, Kersting Sabina, Orsucci Lorella, Mauro, Francesca R, Pocali, Barbara, Papaioannou, Maria, Reda Gianluigi, Garcia-Marco, Jose Antonio, Bron, Dominique, Qu

2020

Overview

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a disease of the elderly, characterized by immunodeficiency. Hence, patients with CLL might be considered more susceptible to severe complications from COVID-19. We undertook this retrospective international multicenter study to characterize the course of COVID-19 in patients with CLL and identify potential predictors of outcome. Of 190 patients with CLL and confirmed COVID-19 diagnosed between 28/03/2020 and 22/05/2020, 151 (79%) presented with severe COVID-19 (need of oxygen and/or intensive care admission). Severe COVID-19 was associated with more advanced age (≥65 years) (odds ratio 3.72 [95% CI 1.79–7.71]). Only 60 patients (39.7%) with severe COVID-19 were receiving or had recent (≤12 months) treatment for CLL at the time of COVID-19 versus 30/39 (76.9%) patients with mild disease. Hospitalization rate for severe COVID-19 was lower (p < 0.05) for patients on ibrutinib versus those on other regimens or off treatment. Of 151 patients with severe disease, 55 (36.4%) succumbed versus only 1/38 (2.6%) with mild disease; age and comorbidities did not impact on mortality. In CLL, (1) COVID-19 severity increases with age; (2) antileukemic treatment (particularly BTK inhibitors) appears to exert a protective effect; (3) age and comorbidities did not impact on mortality, alluding to a relevant role of CLL and immunodeficiency.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• Subject: Age / Anticancer properties / Chronic lymphocytic leukemia / Complications / Coronaviruses / COVID-19 / Immunodeficiency / Inhibitor drugs / Leukemia / Lymphatic leukemia / Medical treatment / Mortality / Targeted cancer therapy