Background
Due to the lack of proven therapies, we evaluated the effects of early administration of tocilizumab for COVID-19. By inhibition of the IL-6 receptor, tocilizumab may help to mitigate the hyperinflammatory response associated with progressive respiratory failure from SARS-CoV-2.
Methods
A retrospective, observational study was conducted on hospitalized adults who received intravenous tocilizumab for COVID-19 between March 23, 2020 and April 10, 2020.
Results
Most patients were male (66.7%), Hispanic (63.3%) or Black (23.3%), with a median age of 54 years. Tocilizumab was administered at a median of 8 days (range 1–21) after initial symptoms and 2 days (range 0–12) after hospital admission. Within 30 days from receiving tocilizumab, 36 patients (60.0%) demonstrated clinical improvement, 9 (15.0%) died, 33 (55.0%) were discharged alive, and 18 (30.0%) remained hospitalized. Successful extubation occurred in 13 out of 29 patients (44.8%). Infectious complications occurred in 16 patients (26.7%) at a median of 10.5 days. After tocilizumab was administered, there was a slight increase in PaO2/FiO2 and an initial reduction in CRP, but this effect was not sustained beyond day 10.
Conclusions
Majority of patients demonstrated clinical improvement and were successfully discharged alive from the hospital after receiving tocilizumab. We observed a rebound effect with CRP, which may suggest the need for higher or subsequent doses to adequately manage cytokine storm. Based on our findings, we believe that tocilizumab may have a role in the early treatment of COVID-19, however larger randomized controlled studies are needed to confirm this.
Traditional nuclear medicine is rapidly being transformed by the evolving concepts in molecular imaging and theranostics. The utility of new approaches in differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) diagnostics and therapy has not been fully appreciated. The clinical information, relevant to disease management and patient care, obtained by scintigraphy is still being underestimated. There has been a trend towards moving away from the use of radioactive iodine (RAI) imaging in the management of the disease. This paradigm shift is supported by the 2015 American Thyroid Association Guidelines (1). A more systematic and comprehensive understanding of disease pathophysiology and imaging methodologies is needed for optimal utilization of different imaging modalities in the management of DTC. There have been significant developments in radiotracer and imaging technology, clinically proven to contribute to the understanding of tumor biology and the clinical assessment of patients with DTC. The research and development in the field continues to evolve, with expected emergence of many novel diagnostic and therapeutic techniques. The role for nuclear imaging applications will continue to evolve and be reconfigured in the changing paradigm. This article aims to review the clinical uses and controversies surrounding the use of scintigraphy, and the information it can provide in assisting in the management and treatment of DTC.
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