Comparison of pulmonary involvement due to COVID-19 infection in patients with ankylosing spondylitis using sulfasalazine and biologic agents

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study is to examine the lung involvement caused by the SARS CoV-2 factor in patients diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis using sulfasalazine and biological drugs. Material and Method: File systems of patients with RT-PCR positive AS diagnosis who have undergone COVID-19 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with a diagnosis of AS were divided into two groups as those using sulfasalazine and biological agents. Thoracic computed tomography (CT) results of the patients were divided into mild, moderate, severe, bilateral or unilateral. The data were also compared between the patient and control groups. Results: Of the 58 patients included in the study, 26 were receiving biological agent and 32 were receiving sulfsalazine. Of the patients using DMARD, 17 were receiving adalimumab, 4 etanercept, 2 golimumab, 2 certolizumab, and 1 patient infliximab. Thirteen patients in the AS group had lung involvement due to SARS CoV-2 on thorax computed tomography. It was seen that patients, 9 men and 4 women, were hospitalized due to COVID-19. In 10 patients, involvement due to COVID-19 was found in both lungs. Conclusion: It is not yet known whether immunomodulatory treatments used in autoimmune and inflammatory rheumatic diseases will affect the course of COVID-19 positively or negatively. In this study, COVID-19 progressed with mild symptoms in patients diagnosed with AS using sulfasalazine and biological agents.

Keywords

• Ankilozan spondilit
• Covid-19
• sulfasalazin
• DMARD

Ankilozan spondilit tanılı sulfasalazin ve biyolojik ajan kullanan hastaların COVID-19 enfeksiyonuna bağlı akciğer tutulumlarının karşılaştırılması

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, ankilozan spondilit tanılı sülfasalazin ve biyolojik ilaç kullanan hastalarda SARS CoV-2 faktörünün neden olduğu akciğer tutulumunu incelemek. Gereç ve Yöntem: COVID-19 geçirmiş RT-PCR pozitif AS tanısı olan ve en az bir yıldır hastanemizde takibi olan hastaların dosya sistemleri retrospektif olarak gözden geçirildi. AS tanısı alan hastalar sülfasalazin ve biyolojik ajan kullananlar olarak iki gruba ayrıldı. Hastaların toraks bilgisayarlı tomografi (BT) sonuçları hafif, orta, şiddetli, iki taraflı ve tek taraflı olarak ayrıldı. Veriler ayrıca hasta ve kontrol grupları arasında karşılaştırıldı. Bulgular: Çalışmaya alınan 58 hastanın 26’sı biyolojik ajan, 32’si sülfasalazin alıyordu. DMARD kullanan hastalardan 17’si adalimumab, 4’ü etanercept, 2’si golimumab, 2’si sertolizumab ve 1’i infliximab kullanıyordu. AS grubundaki 13 hastada toraks bilgisayarlı tomografisinde SARS CoV-2 nedeniyle akciğer tutulumu vardı. 9’u erkek, 4’ü kadın olan hastaların COVID-19 nedeniyle hastaneye yatırıldığı görüldü. 10 hastada her iki akciğerde de COVID-19’a bağlı tutulum saptandı. Sonuç: otoimmün ve inflamatuar romatizmal hastalıklarda kullanılan immünomodülatör tedavilerin COVID-19 seyrini olumlu ya da olumsuz etkileyeceği henüz bilinmemektedir. Bizim çalışmamızda sulfasalazin ve biyolojik ajan kullanan AS tanılı hastalarda COVID-19 hafif semptomlarla seyretmiştir.

Keywords

• Ankilozan spondilit
• Covid-19
• sulfasalazin
• DMARDs

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