Persistent and fatal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in a patient with severe hypogammaglobulinemia: a case report

Abstract Background Viruses are constantly changing as a result of mutations, and new viral variants are expected to appear over time. The virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, is not excluded from this condition. Patients with some types of imm...

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Main Authors: Vanessa Bedoya-Joaqui, María I. Gutiérrez-López, Paola A. Caicedo, María F. Villegas-Torres, Ludwig L. Albornoz-Tovar, Juan D. Vélez, Alejandra Hidalgo-Cardona, Gabriel J. Tobón, Carlos A. Cañas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2023-05-01
Series:Journal of Medical Case Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s13256-023-03917-x
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author Vanessa Bedoya-Joaqui
María I. Gutiérrez-López
Paola A. Caicedo
María F. Villegas-Torres
Ludwig L. Albornoz-Tovar
Juan D. Vélez
Alejandra Hidalgo-Cardona
Gabriel J. Tobón
Carlos A. Cañas
author_facet Vanessa Bedoya-Joaqui
María I. Gutiérrez-López
Paola A. Caicedo
María F. Villegas-Torres
Ludwig L. Albornoz-Tovar
Juan D. Vélez
Alejandra Hidalgo-Cardona
Gabriel J. Tobón
Carlos A. Cañas
author_sort Vanessa Bedoya-Joaqui
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Viruses are constantly changing as a result of mutations, and new viral variants are expected to appear over time. The virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, is not excluded from this condition. Patients with some types of immunodeficiency have been reported to experience symptoms that vary from mild to severe, or even death, after being infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. We report a case of a woman with severe hypogammaglobulinemia who developed a prolonged and fatal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. Case presentation A 60-year-old mestizo female with a previous history of severe hypogammaglobulinemia manifested by recurrent pulmonary infections and follicular bronchiolitis. She received a monthly treatment of intravenous immunoglobulins and was admitted after report of a neurological manifestation related to a left thalamic inflammatory lesion, for a duration of 2 weeks of hospitalization, indicated for the study of her neurological condition, including brain biopsy. Both on admission and 1 week later, nasopharyngeal polymerase chain reaction tests for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 were performed and reported negative. In the third week of hospitalization, she developed pulmonary symptoms, and a positive test result for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 was evidenced. On Day 3, the patients’ condition worsened as the infection progressed to respiratory failure and required mechanical ventilation. On Day 8 after the coronavirus disease 2019 diagnosis, the polymerase chain reaction test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 showed persistent detection of the virus. Various bacterial coinfections, including Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter cloacae, were diagnosed and treated. On Day 35, her pulmonary symptoms worsened, and the results of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 polymerase chain reaction test remained positive. On Day 36, despite all the respiratory support, the patient died. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus was sequenced at the beginning and 8 days after the onset of the disease, and the strain, without obvious mutations in the gene that encodes spike protein, was identified. Conclusions This clinical case showed persistent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 detection after 35 days of infection in a patient with severe hypogammaglobulinemia. The sequencing of the virus showed no mutations on the spike protein at 8 days, indicating that, in this case, the persistence of the viral detection was associated with immunodeficiency instead of changes in the viral components.
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spelling doaj.art-ad05440c727a428f81ba06a6545e65b22023-05-14T11:18:02ZengBMCJournal of Medical Case Reports1752-19472023-05-011711610.1186/s13256-023-03917-xPersistent and fatal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in a patient with severe hypogammaglobulinemia: a case reportVanessa Bedoya-Joaqui0María I. Gutiérrez-López1Paola A. Caicedo2María F. Villegas-Torres3Ludwig L. Albornoz-Tovar4Juan D. Vélez5Alejandra Hidalgo-Cardona6Gabriel J. Tobón7Carlos A. Cañas8Departamento de Medicina Interna, Unidad de Reumatología, Universidad Icesi, Facultad de Ciencias de la SaludDepartamento de Biología, Universidad Icesi, Facultad de Ciencias de la SaludDepartamento de Biología, Universidad Icesi, Facultad de Ciencias de la SaludDepartamento de Biología, Universidad Icesi, Facultad de Ciencias de la SaludDepartamento de Patología, Fundación Valle del LiliUnidad de Infectología, Fundación Valle del LiliCentro de Investigaciones Clínicas, Fundación Valle del LiliDepartment of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology, Southern Illinois University School of MedicineDepartamento de Medicina Interna, Unidad de Reumatología, Universidad Icesi, Facultad de Ciencias de la SaludAbstract Background Viruses are constantly changing as a result of mutations, and new viral variants are expected to appear over time. The virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, is not excluded from this condition. Patients with some types of immunodeficiency have been reported to experience symptoms that vary from mild to severe, or even death, after being infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. We report a case of a woman with severe hypogammaglobulinemia who developed a prolonged and fatal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. Case presentation A 60-year-old mestizo female with a previous history of severe hypogammaglobulinemia manifested by recurrent pulmonary infections and follicular bronchiolitis. She received a monthly treatment of intravenous immunoglobulins and was admitted after report of a neurological manifestation related to a left thalamic inflammatory lesion, for a duration of 2 weeks of hospitalization, indicated for the study of her neurological condition, including brain biopsy. Both on admission and 1 week later, nasopharyngeal polymerase chain reaction tests for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 were performed and reported negative. In the third week of hospitalization, she developed pulmonary symptoms, and a positive test result for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 was evidenced. On Day 3, the patients’ condition worsened as the infection progressed to respiratory failure and required mechanical ventilation. On Day 8 after the coronavirus disease 2019 diagnosis, the polymerase chain reaction test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 showed persistent detection of the virus. Various bacterial coinfections, including Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter cloacae, were diagnosed and treated. On Day 35, her pulmonary symptoms worsened, and the results of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 polymerase chain reaction test remained positive. On Day 36, despite all the respiratory support, the patient died. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus was sequenced at the beginning and 8 days after the onset of the disease, and the strain, without obvious mutations in the gene that encodes spike protein, was identified. Conclusions This clinical case showed persistent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 detection after 35 days of infection in a patient with severe hypogammaglobulinemia. The sequencing of the virus showed no mutations on the spike protein at 8 days, indicating that, in this case, the persistence of the viral detection was associated with immunodeficiency instead of changes in the viral components.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13256-023-03917-xCOVID-19ImmunodeficiencyMutationsVariants
spellingShingle Vanessa Bedoya-Joaqui
María I. Gutiérrez-López
Paola A. Caicedo
María F. Villegas-Torres
Ludwig L. Albornoz-Tovar
Juan D. Vélez
Alejandra Hidalgo-Cardona
Gabriel J. Tobón
Carlos A. Cañas
Persistent and fatal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in a patient with severe hypogammaglobulinemia: a case report
Journal of Medical Case Reports
COVID-19
Immunodeficiency
Mutations
Variants
title Persistent and fatal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in a patient with severe hypogammaglobulinemia: a case report
title_full Persistent and fatal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in a patient with severe hypogammaglobulinemia: a case report
title_fullStr Persistent and fatal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in a patient with severe hypogammaglobulinemia: a case report
title_full_unstemmed Persistent and fatal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in a patient with severe hypogammaglobulinemia: a case report
title_short Persistent and fatal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in a patient with severe hypogammaglobulinemia: a case report
title_sort persistent and fatal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in a patient with severe hypogammaglobulinemia a case report
topic COVID-19
Immunodeficiency
Mutations
Variants
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s13256-023-03917-x
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