Effect of Tocilizumab Treatment on Seroconversion in Hyperinflammation Secondary to Covid 19

Aim In the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, managing hyperinflammation, a severe symptom secondary to the disease, has emerged as a considerable challenge. Tocilizumab, an immunosuppressive drug, provides a potential remedy. Yet, understanding its effects on antibody formation following recovery from Covid-19 is of paramount importance. Hence, our study sought to investigate the implications of tocilizumab treatment on antibody production by measuring SARS-COV-2 spike total antibody levels three months post-infection in patients who received this specific treatment. Materyal and Methods Our study incorporated 48 patients diagnosed with Covid 19 who presented with hyperinflammation during hospitalization. These patients, admitted to our institution, were treated with tocilizumab and subsequently discharged. We meticulously determined the 3rd month SARS-COV-2 spike total antibody levels in these patients. Results The participants of the study, characterized by a mean age of 52.5 ± 11.6 years, demonstrated positive SARS-COV-2 spike total antibody levels at 3 months, irrespective of age, gender, comorbidity, and length of hospital stay. The mean antibody levels in the patient population were quantified to be 223.58 ± 68.36 U/mL, with a range from 14.2 to 250 U/mL. Conclusion: Our findings reveal that all patients exhibited positive antibody levels at 3 months following tocilizumab treatment. This suggests that the application of tocilizumab in the management of hyperinflammation secondary to Covid 19 does not detrimentally affect the formation of antibodies, at least in the short term. This could have substantial implications for future treatment strategies.