Background: The course of new coronavirus infection in patients with rheumatic diseases (RD) undergoing treatment with biological and targeted drugs is still poorly understood.

Objectives: To study outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with RD receiving treatment biological and targeted synthetic DMARDs.

Methods: We studied cases of COVID-19 in patients with RD, included in “Moscow regional registry of patients with rheumatic diseases receiving treatment with biological and targeted synthetic drugs” – observational cohort, started in 2018. A total number of patients, included in the registry, is 1048 at December 2020.

Results: By January 2021, 44 known cases of COVID-19 were registered among patients included in the registry (4,2%). This group included 29 (65,9%) females, 15 (34,1%) males, with mean age 45,09±12,7 (median 47,0 [34,0; 57,0]) y.o. The vast majority of patients had rheumatoid arthritis (19, 43,2%) and ankylosing spondylitis (19, 43,2%), there were 3 (6,8%) patients with psoriatic arthritis, and one patient each (2,3%) with systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, and ANCA-vasculitis. Before COVID-19, 20 (45,5%) patients received TNF inhibitors (adalimumab, infliximab, etanercept, certolizumab, golimumab), 7 (15,9%) – IL-6 receptor inhibitors (tocilizumab, sarilumab), 7 (15,9%) – rituximab (period between last infusion and COVID-19 was 1-4 months), 5 (11,4%) – sekukinumab, 2 (4,5%) – tofacitinib, and one patient each (2,3%) received abatacept and ustekinumab. Also, 22 (50%) received methotrexate, 4 (9,1%) – leflunomide, 3 (6,8%) - mycophenolate mofetil, 1 (2,3%) – sulfasalazine; 12 (27,3%) took oral steroids. COVID-19 presented as mild disease in 23 (52,3%) patients, and 21 (47,7%) had viral interstitial pneumonia verified by computed tomography. 16 (36,4%) patients were hospitalized, only one patient underwent artificial lung ventilation. We found no significant associations between particular diagnosis and treatment on the one hand, and hospitalization for COVID-19 on the other hand. For treatment of COVID-19, two (4,5%) patients did not receive any medications, and the rest of patients received antiviral and antibacterial therapy according to standardized protocol. In addition, corticosteroids were administered for COVID-19 in 15 (34,1%) patients, mainly (12 cases) in hospital, and two (4,5%) patients in hospital were treated by tocilizumab. The outcome in all cases was favorable, all patients successfully recovered from the new coronavirus infection.

Conclusion: In this observational study, we found no association between biologic and targeted therapy for rheumatic diseases and severe course of new coronavirus infection, as well as with the need for hospitalization for COVID-19. The outcome of COVID-19 was favorable in all patients receiving treatment with biological and targeted synthetic drugs for rheumatic diseases.

Disclosure of Interests: None declared