| Title: |
[18F]FDG PET/CT in patients affected by SARS-CoV-2 and lymphoproliferative disorders and treated with tocilizumab |
| Authors: |
Signore, Alberto; Lauri, Chiara; Bianchi, Maria Paola; Pelliccia, Sabrina; Lenza, Andrea; Tetti, Simone; Martini, Maria Luisa; Franchi, Gabriele; Trapasso, Fabio; De Biase, Luciano; Aceti, Antonio; Tafuri, Agostino |
| Contributors: |
Signore, Alberto; Lauri, Chiara; Bianchi, Maria Paola; Pelliccia, Sabrina; Lenza, Andrea; Tetti, Simone; Martini, Maria Luisa; Franchi, Gabriele; Trapasso, Fabio; De Biase, Luciano; Aceti, Antonio; Tafuri, Agostino |
| Publication Year: |
2022 |
| Collection: |
Sapienza Università di Roma: CINECA IRIS |
| Subject Terms: |
Covid-19; SARS-CoV-2; [18F]FDG PET/CT; pneumonia; tocilizumab |
| Description: |
Objectives: Interstitial pneumonia is a severe complication induced by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Several treatments have been proposed alone or, more often, in combination, depending, also, on the presence of other organ disfunction. The most frequently related, well-described, and associated phenomenon is pan-lymphopenia with circulating, high levels of cytokines. We report, here, on two patients with COVID-19 and lymphoproliferative disorders treated with Tocilizumab (a humanized monoclonal antibody against the interleukin-6 receptor) and followed by an [18F]FDG PET/CT to early evaluate the therapy's efficacy. Methods: One patient with angioimmunoblastic T-lymphoma (A), one with Hodgkin lymphoma (A), and both with positive RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 and with similar clinical findings of interstitial pneumonia at the CT scan, were imaged by [18F]FDG PET/CT before and 14 days after a single dose of Tocilizumab. Results: In both patients, the basal [18F]FDG PET/CT showed a diffused lung parenchyma uptake, corresponding to the hyperdense areas at the CT scan. After 2 weeks of a Tocilizumab infusion, patient B had an improvement of symptoms, with normalization of the [18F]FDG uptake. By contrast, patient A, who was still symptomatic, showed a persisting and abnormal distribution of [18F]FDG. Interestingly, both patients showed a low bone marrow uptake of [18F]FDG at the diagnosis and after 15 days, while the spleen uptake was low only in lymphopenic patient A; both are indirect signs of an immune deficiency. Conclusions: In conclusion, in these two patients, interstitial pneumonia was efficiently treated with Tocilizumab, as demonstrated by the [18F]FDG PET/CT. Our results confirm that interleukin-6 (IL6) has a role in the COVID-19 disease and that anti-cytokine treatment can also be performed in patients with lymphoproliferative disorders. |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| Language: |
English |
| Relation: |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/pmid/36579547; info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:000881361400001; volume:12; issue:11; firstpage:1; lastpage:7; numberofpages:7; journal:JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE; https://hdl.handle.net/11573/1695999 |
| DOI: |
10.3390/jpm12111839 |
| Availability: |
https://hdl.handle.net/11573/1695999; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm12111839 |
| Rights: |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.89D48A1C |
| Database: |
BASE |