A Pilot Study of COVID-19 Outcomes in People Living with HIV in Tatarstan.
Natalya Andreeva, Svetlana Moiseeva, Alisa Garipova, Venera Shakirova, Ekaterina Martynova, Ilnur Salafutdinov, Svetlana Khaiboullina, Yuriy Davidyuk, Sinothile Khuzwayo, Ntombenhle Gama, Shahlo Turdikulova, Dilbar Dalimova, Mirakbar Yakubov, Sergey Morzunov, Albert Rizvanov
Abstract
Open AccessThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic remains a significant public health threat globally with significant socio-economic impacts. People living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (PLWH) have a high risk of severe outcomes of COVID-19 due to immunosuppression. Clinical manifestation of COVID-19 in HIV patients largely remains unclear. We carried out a pilot study to investigate the clinical laboratory data and circulating cytokines in PLWH infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), in Tatarstan, Russia. Serum samples were collected from three groups: PLWH with COVID-19 (PLWH/COVID-19), COVID-19-only, and uninfected controls. We found an increased risk of severe COVID-19 in PLWH/COVID-19 patients compared to COVID-19-only. Four fatal cases were in PLWH/COVID-19, while there was no fatality in COVID-19-only. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-5, IL-6, IL-9, and IL-15, were elevated in PLWH/COVID-19 compered to COVID-19-only. These preliminary findings highlight the potential for more severe COVID-19 in PLWH/COVID-19 where pro-inflammatory cytokines could play pathogenic role.