ACR Meeting Abstracts

ACR Meeting Abstracts

  • Home
  • Meetings Archive
    • ACR Convergence 2022
    • ACR Convergence 2021
    • ACR Convergence 2020
    • 2020 ACR/ARP PRSYM
    • 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting
    • 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting
    • 2017-2009 Meetings
    • Download Abstracts
  • Keyword Index
  • Advanced Search
  • Your Favorites
    • Favorites
    • Login
    • View and print all favorites
    • Clear all your favorites
  • Meeting Resource Center

Abstract Number: 1318

Interplay Between Covid-19 and Spondyloarthritis or Its Treatment

Richard Howard1, Michael Weisman2, Hedley Hamilton3, Cassie Shafer1, Elin Aslanyan1, John Reveille4, Kevin Winthrop5, Dongseok Choi5, Kimbery Ogle5, Sarah Siegel5, Emily Papaspyru3, Donna Grims1 and James T. Rosenbaum6, 1Spondylitis Association of America, Encino, CA, 2Adjunct Professor of Medicine, Stanford University; Distinguished Professor of Medicine Emeritus, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 3Any-3, London, United Kingdom, 4Division of Rheumatology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 5Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 6Departments of Ophthalmology, Medicine, and Cell Biology, Oregon Health & Sciences University and Chair Emeritus, Legacy Devers Eye Institute, Portland, OR

Meeting: ACR Convergence 2021

Keywords: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS), Biologicals, COVID-19, spondyloarthritis

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
Session Information

Date: Monday, November 8, 2021

Session Title: Spondyloarthritis Including PsA – Diagnosis, Manifestations, & Outcomes III: Comorbidities, Extra-muskuloskeletal Manifestations, & Related Conditions (1304–1328)

Session Type: Poster Session C

Session Time: 8:30AM-10:30AM

Background/Purpose: The Covid-19 pandemic has been especially challenging for patients with inflammatory diseases including spondyloarthritis (SpA). Patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) remain at an increased risk of morbidity and mortality from vaccine preventable infections, often as a result of disease activity, comorbidities, and immunosuppressive medication.[1] Susceptibility and severity of Covid-19 was addressed with an online survey of patients with a diagnosis of SpA established by a physician.

Methods: We conducted a web-based survey of SpA distributed to approximately 40,000 individuals (mostly in North America) who had registered with the Spondylitis Association of America. Additional surveys were distributed based on lists provided by the Axial Spondyloarthritis International Federation (ASIF). The survey was translated into 15 additional languages to accommodate ASIF members.

Results: Responses from 4723 subjects with SpA and 450 household contacts of these subjects. Most from the US (64.9%), Canada (8%), and the rest from 72 other countries. 63% of the were female. Median age was male 54 and females 49. Several forms of SpA were identified, with 83.5% as ankylosing spondylitis. Respondents reported being exposed to Covid-19 (19.6%) with 384 (8.2%) reported being infected. Of those infected 295 had a confirmatory positive test. Table 1 indicates that none of the treatments appeared to affect the likelihood to develop Covid-19 or the subjective rating of the severity of Covid-19. Some classes of medications such as anti-malarials and JAK inhibitors were not commonly used by the respondents so the statistical meaning of the results could be confounded by the limited size of the database. Patients with SpA were not statistically significantly different from household controls.

Conclusion: Based on survey results, SpA does not affect susceptibility or severity of Covid-19. Medications commonly used to treat spondyloarthritis do not affect susceptibility or severity of Covid-19.

We cannot exclude confounding because patients taking certain medications such as a biologic might exercise greater care to socially distance and minimize exposure.

Analysis of medication usage and the susceptibility and severity of Covid_19 * Wald test; ** t-test against No Med. Rate ratio is calculated relative to patients taking no medication. Mean severity is the subjective severity of Covid_19 infection using a one (most mild) to ten (most severe) scale. Abbreviations: C19=Covid_19; SD=standard deviation; MTX=methotrexate; HCQ=hydroxychloroquine; TNF=tumor necrosis factor; NSAID=nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug; JAK=janus kinase; No Med=no medication for spondyloarthritis.


Disclosures: R. Howard, AbbVie, 11, Amgen, 11, Bristol-Myers Squibb, 11, GSK, 11, Johnson & Johnson, 11, Lilly, 11, Merck, 11, Novartis, 11, Pfizer, 11, Teva, 11, GSK, 2, Novartis, 2, UCB, 11; M. Weisman, Novartis, 2, Gilead, 2, GSK, 2, UCB, 2; H. Hamilton, None; C. Shafer, None; E. Aslanyan, None; J. Reveille, UCB, 1, Eli Lilly, 1, Eli Lilly, 5, Novartis, 1; K. Winthrop, Pfizer, 2, 5, Bristol-Myers Squibb, 2, 5, UCB Pharma, 2, 5, AbbVie, 2, 5, Eli Lilly, 2, 5, Galapagos, 2, 5, Gilead, 2, 5, Roche, 2, 5, Glaxo-SmithKline, 2, Regeneron, 2, Sanofi, 2; D. Choi, None; K. Ogle, None; S. Siegel, Insmed, 2; E. Papaspyru, None; D. Grims, None; J. Rosenbaum, AbbVie, 2, UCB, 2, Novartis, 2, Gilead, 2, Corvus, 2, Roivant, 2, Revolo, 2, Neoleukin, 2, Affibody, 2, Santen, 2, Celgene, 2, Bristol Myers, 2, Pfizer, 5, Horizon, 5, UpToDate, 9.

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Howard R, Weisman M, Hamilton H, Shafer C, Aslanyan E, Reveille J, Winthrop K, Choi D, Ogle K, Siegel S, Papaspyru E, Grims D, Rosenbaum J. Interplay Between Covid-19 and Spondyloarthritis or Its Treatment [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2021; 73 (suppl 9). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/interplay-between-covid-19-and-spondyloarthritis-or-its-treatment/. Accessed January 30, 2023.
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print

« Back to ACR Convergence 2021

ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/interplay-between-covid-19-and-spondyloarthritis-or-its-treatment/

Advanced Search

Your Favorites

You can save and print a list of your favorite abstracts during your browser session by clicking the “Favorite” button at the bottom of any abstract. View your favorites »

ACR Pediatric Rheumatology Symposium 2020

© COPYRIGHT 2023 AMERICAN COLLEGE OF RHEUMATOLOGY

Wiley

  • Home
  • Meetings Archive
  • Advanced Search
  • Meeting Resource Center
  • Online Journal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Permissions Policies
  • Cookie Preferences