Submit to Life Review for Life Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Special Issue "COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma for Immuno-Compromised Patients"

Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Epidemiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2022) | Viewed by 5925

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Daniele Focosi

E-Mail
Guest Editor

Pisa University Hospital, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Interests: virology; emerging viruses; pandemics; viral evolution; hematology; immunogenetics; transplant immunology; transfusion medicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Massimo Franchini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Transfusion Medicine and Hematology, Carlo Poma Hospital, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale of Mantova, 46100 Mantova, Italy
Interests: transfusion medicine; coagulation; convalescent plasma

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

COVID-19 remains a life-threatening disease for severely immunocompromised patients, such as those with B-cell depletion, who do not develop protective immune responses even after multiple vaccine doses. These patients harbour chronic replication leading to significant intrahost variation and an inability to eradicate infection. Long-term treatment is required to prevent relapses. Among the currently authorized treatments, small-chemical antivirals are often contraindicated and have not been tested in immunocompromised patients. Many anti-spike monoclonal antibodies, which have been developed for over a year, are becoming ineffective against many novel SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. Convalescent plasma is being increasingly recognized by both regulatory authorities and scientific societies as a robust therapeutic option for these patients.

In this Special Issue, we will include case series from different subsets of immunosuppressed patients (onco-haematological, rheumatological and solid organ transplant recipients) and review state-of-the-art techniques through international guidelines. Research that presents in vitro results detailing novel mechanisms of actions is also welcomed.

Dr. Daniele Focosi
Dr. Massimo Franchini
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Life is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

convalescent plasma
COVID-19
immunosuppression

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Editorial

Jump to: Research, Other

5 pages, 203 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

WHO Is Recommending against the Use of COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma in Immunocompromised Patients?

and

Life 2023, 13(1), 134; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13010134 - 03 Jan 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1180

Abstract

Since December 2019, SARS-CoV-2 is ravaging the globe, currently accounting for over 660 million infected people and more than 6 [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma for Immuno-Compromised Patients)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Other

15 pages, 1283 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Efficacy and Safety of COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma in Hospitalized Patients—An Open-Label Phase II Clinical Trial

Rada M. Grubovic Rastvorceva

and

Life 2022, 12(10), 1565; https://doi.org/10.3390/life12101565 - 09 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1406

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) is an important antiviral option for selected patients with COVID-19. Materials and Methods: In this open-label, phase 2, clinical trial conducted from 30 April 2020 till 10 May 2021 in the Republic of North Macedonia, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of CCP in hospitalized patients. Treatment was with a single unit of CCP having an anti-RBD IgG concentration higher than 5 AU/mL. Results: There were 189 patients that completed the study, of which 65 (34.4%) had WHO 8-point clinical progression scale score of 3 (requiring hospital care but not oxygen support), 65 (34.4%) had a score of 4 (hospitalized and requiring supplemental oxygen by mask or nasal prongs), and 59 (31.2%) had a score of 5 (hospitalized and requiring supplemental oxygen by non-invasive ventilation or high-flow oxygen). Mean age was 57 years (range 22–94), 78.5% were males, 80.4% had elevated body mass index, and 70.9% had comorbidity. Following CCP transfusion, we observed clinical improvement with increase rates in oxygenation-free days of 32.3% and 58.5% at 24 h and seven days after CCP transfusion, a decline in WHO scores, and reduced progression to severe disease (only one patient was admitted to ICU after CCP transfusion). Mortality in the entire cohort was 11.6% (22/189). We recorded 0% mortality in WHO score 3 (0/65) and in patients that received CCP transfusion in the first seven days of disease, 4.6% mortality in WHO score 4 (3/65), and 30.5% mortality in WHO score 5 (18/59). Mortality correlated with WHO score (Chi-square 19.3, p < 0.001) and with stay in the ICU (Chi-square 55.526, p ≤ 0.001). No severe adverse events were reported. Conclusions: This study showed that early administration of CCP to patients with moderate disease was a safe and potentially effective treatment for hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04397523). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma for Immuno-Compromised Patients)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Editorial, Research

8 pages, 1159 KiB

Open AccessCase Report

Efficacy of Convalescent Plasma to Treat Long-Standing COVID-19 in Patients with B-Cell Depletion

and

Life 2023, 13(6), 1266; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13061266 - 27 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 952

Abstract

The use of antivirals, corticosteroids, and IL-6 inhibitors has been recommended by the WHO to treat COVID-19. CP has also been considered for severe and critical cases. Clinical trials on CP have shown contradictory results, but an increasing number of patients, including immunocompromised ones, have shown benefits from this treatment. We reported two clinical cases of patients with prolonged COVID-19 infection and B-cell depletion who showed rapid clinical and virological recovery after the administration of CP. The first patient in this study was a 73-year-old female with a history of follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma previously treated with bendamustine followed by maintenance therapy with rituximab. The second patient was a 68-year-old male with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bipolar disorder, alcoholic liver disease, and a history of mantellar non-Hodgkin lymphoma treated with rituximab and radiotherapy. After the administration of CP, both patients showed a resolution of symptoms, improvement of their clinical conditions, and a negative result of the nasopharyngeal swab test. The administration of CP might be effective in resolving symptoms and improving clinical and virological outcomes in patients with B-cell depletion and prolonged SARS-CoV2 infections. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma for Immuno-Compromised Patients)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

5 pages, 220 KiB

Open AccessOpinion

Home and Out-of-Hospital Therapy with COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma in Europe

Daniele Focosi

and

Massimo Franchini

Life 2022, 12(11), 1704; https://doi.org/10.3390/life12111704 - 26 Oct 2022

Viewed by 675

Abstract

COVID19 convalescent plasma (CCP) has proven an effective treatment for outpatients, and CCP collected from vaccinated donors is among the few effective therapeutic options for immunocompromised patients. Despite this, most countries are still relying over in-hospital compassionate usages outside clinical trials. Given the need for early treatment, home transfusions are expecially needed. We review here the state of the art for out-of-hospital CCP transfusions and discuss solutions to potential burocratic hurdles. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma for Immuno-Compromised Patients)

4 pages, 514 KiB

Open AccessCase Report

Clinical and Virological Response to Convalescent Plasma in a Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Patient with COVID-19 Pneumonia

and

Life 2022, 12(7), 1098; https://doi.org/10.3390/life12071098 - 21 Jul 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1268

Abstract

The burden of COVID-19 remains unchanged for immunocompromised patients who do not respond to vaccines. Unfortunately, Omicron sublineages are resistant to monoclonal antibodies authorized in Europe so far, and small chemical antivirals have contraindications and toxicities that have not been studied in these patients. We report here the successful treatment of COVID-19 pneumonia lasting for 4 months after the transfusion of COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) in a patient with severe immunosuppression due to both chronic lymphocytic leukemia and venetoclax treatment. The patient achieved a complete clinical, radiological and virological response after six transfusions (600 mL each) of high-titer CCP collected from triple-vaccinated and convalescent donors. This dramatic case adds to the mounting evidence of CCP efficacy in immunocompromised patients, provided that high-titer and large volumes are infused. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma for Immuno-Compromised Patients)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Special Issue "COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma for Immuno-Compromised Patients"

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (5 papers)

Editorial

Research

Other

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI