Early use of cytokine adsorption in treatment of COVID-19 associated respiratory distress syndrome

Introduction. It is the recommendations for treatment of sepsis and septic shock combined with rheumatologists’ recommendations for monoclonal antibodies therapy that guide severe COVID-19 management in ICU. However, those recommendations may not be fully applied to patients with acute respiratory distress-syndrome associated with SARS-CoV-2, as there exists a difference in pathogenesis between sepsis and virus-associated pneumonias. Monoclonal antibodies therapy may contribute to cytokine cascade severity and promote lung injury. Cytokine storm aggravates the course of the disease. At present, there are two groups of methods described in literature for cytokine storm control and therapy: pharmacological and extracorporeal approaches.
Materials and methods. We have performed a retrospective analysis of five COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory syndrome. Cytokine adsorption start criteria were respiratory insufficiency and IL-6 levels greater than 500 pg/ml. Adsorption therapy was initiated within 24 hours of ICU admission and continued for 48–120 hours in hemoperfusion mode on Multifiltrate machine (Fresenius Medical Care). The length of a single session of CytoSorb (Cytosorbents Inc.) therapy was 24 hours.
Results. All patients demonstrated SpO₂/FiO₂ ratio growth and IL-6 concentration decrease by the end of hemoadsorption. We noted lymphocyte count rise as well as IgM и IgG SARS-CoV-2 antibodies titer substantial increase.
Conclusions. Our observations suggest that the early start of hemoadsorption associates with gas-exchange stabilization and hinders respiratory distress progression. Hemoadsorption allows for pro-inflammatory cytokines concentrations decrease and prevents secondary lung injury. According to our data, hemoadsorption is beneficial to form a coronavirus infection specific immune response. Further research is needed for a detailed study of the results we here describe.

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