Effect of Anti-Interleukin-6 Agents on Psychopathology in a Sample of Patients with Post-COVID-19 Syndrome: An Observational Study
Interleukin 6 (IL-6) receptor inhibitors tocilizumab and sarilumab have recently been approved for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). They also affect mood, even though their effect on the post-COVID-19 syndrome-related psychopathology still has to be investigated. The aim of this study was...
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MDPI AG
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Brain Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/14/1/47 |
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| author | Alessio Simonetti Antonio Restaino Evelina Bernardi Ottavia Marianna Ferrara Stella Margoni Antonio Maria D’Onofrio Federica Ranieri Delfina Janiri Vincenzo Galluzzo Matteo Tosato Georgios D. Kotzalidis Francesco Landi Gabriele Sani |
| author_facet | Alessio Simonetti Antonio Restaino Evelina Bernardi Ottavia Marianna Ferrara Stella Margoni Antonio Maria D’Onofrio Federica Ranieri Delfina Janiri Vincenzo Galluzzo Matteo Tosato Georgios D. Kotzalidis Francesco Landi Gabriele Sani |
| author_sort | Alessio Simonetti |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Interleukin 6 (IL-6) receptor inhibitors tocilizumab and sarilumab have recently been approved for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). They also affect mood, even though their effect on the post-COVID-19 syndrome-related psychopathology still has to be investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate their effect on psychopathology in a sample of patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome. We included 246 patients (34% female, 66% male) aged 18–75 years who had been hospitalized for COVID. Patients were split into those who received anti-IL-6 receptor agents (Anti-IL-6-R, <i>N</i> = 88) and those who did not (Ctrl, <i>N</i> = 158). The former group was further split into those receiving tocilizumab (TOC, <i>N</i> = 67) and those receiving sarilumab (SAR, <i>N</i> = 21). Groups were compared based on clinical characteristics before and during COVID-19 as well as on physical and psychiatric symptoms after COVID-19. Ctrl had less psychiatric and physical symptoms during hospitalization and more post-COVID-19 diarrhea, headache, cough, and dyspnea upon exertion than those receiving IL-6-receptor inhibitors. Ctrl also showed greater difficulties in emotion regulation. These differences were driven by TOC vs. Ctrl, whereas differences between SAR and Ctrl or TOC did not reach significance. IL-6 receptor inhibitors are related to a lower post-COVID-19 illness burden and seem to be effective in emotion regulation. Further research is needed to confirm these findings. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T11:03:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-30f388c03bc2426a9d46d89028680361 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3425 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T11:03:05Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-30f388c03bc2426a9d46d890286803612024-01-26T15:24:03ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252024-01-011414710.3390/brainsci14010047Effect of Anti-Interleukin-6 Agents on Psychopathology in a Sample of Patients with Post-COVID-19 Syndrome: An Observational StudyAlessio Simonetti0Antonio Restaino1Evelina Bernardi2Ottavia Marianna Ferrara3Stella Margoni4Antonio Maria D’Onofrio5Federica Ranieri6Delfina Janiri7Vincenzo Galluzzo8Matteo Tosato9Georgios D. Kotzalidis10Francesco Landi11Gabriele Sani12Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Geriatrics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Geriatrics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Geriatrics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, ItalyInterleukin 6 (IL-6) receptor inhibitors tocilizumab and sarilumab have recently been approved for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). They also affect mood, even though their effect on the post-COVID-19 syndrome-related psychopathology still has to be investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate their effect on psychopathology in a sample of patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome. We included 246 patients (34% female, 66% male) aged 18–75 years who had been hospitalized for COVID. Patients were split into those who received anti-IL-6 receptor agents (Anti-IL-6-R, <i>N</i> = 88) and those who did not (Ctrl, <i>N</i> = 158). The former group was further split into those receiving tocilizumab (TOC, <i>N</i> = 67) and those receiving sarilumab (SAR, <i>N</i> = 21). Groups were compared based on clinical characteristics before and during COVID-19 as well as on physical and psychiatric symptoms after COVID-19. Ctrl had less psychiatric and physical symptoms during hospitalization and more post-COVID-19 diarrhea, headache, cough, and dyspnea upon exertion than those receiving IL-6-receptor inhibitors. Ctrl also showed greater difficulties in emotion regulation. These differences were driven by TOC vs. Ctrl, whereas differences between SAR and Ctrl or TOC did not reach significance. IL-6 receptor inhibitors are related to a lower post-COVID-19 illness burden and seem to be effective in emotion regulation. Further research is needed to confirm these findings.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/14/1/47COVID-19post-COVID-19 syndromeIl-6bevacizumabsarilumab |
| spellingShingle | Alessio Simonetti Antonio Restaino Evelina Bernardi Ottavia Marianna Ferrara Stella Margoni Antonio Maria D’Onofrio Federica Ranieri Delfina Janiri Vincenzo Galluzzo Matteo Tosato Georgios D. Kotzalidis Francesco Landi Gabriele Sani Effect of Anti-Interleukin-6 Agents on Psychopathology in a Sample of Patients with Post-COVID-19 Syndrome: An Observational Study Brain Sciences COVID-19 post-COVID-19 syndrome Il-6 bevacizumab sarilumab |
| title | Effect of Anti-Interleukin-6 Agents on Psychopathology in a Sample of Patients with Post-COVID-19 Syndrome: An Observational Study |
| title_full | Effect of Anti-Interleukin-6 Agents on Psychopathology in a Sample of Patients with Post-COVID-19 Syndrome: An Observational Study |
| title_fullStr | Effect of Anti-Interleukin-6 Agents on Psychopathology in a Sample of Patients with Post-COVID-19 Syndrome: An Observational Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of Anti-Interleukin-6 Agents on Psychopathology in a Sample of Patients with Post-COVID-19 Syndrome: An Observational Study |
| title_short | Effect of Anti-Interleukin-6 Agents on Psychopathology in a Sample of Patients with Post-COVID-19 Syndrome: An Observational Study |
| title_sort | effect of anti interleukin 6 agents on psychopathology in a sample of patients with post covid 19 syndrome an observational study |
| topic | COVID-19 post-COVID-19 syndrome Il-6 bevacizumab sarilumab |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/14/1/47 |
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