POS0542 LYMPHOCYTES POPULATIONS AND AUTOANTIBODIES, IN A COHORT OF PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: A LONG-TERM STUDY OF COVID-19 CASES AND NON-COVID-19 CONTROLS

J Arias-Aponte,A Rojas-Villarraga,P D Nieto-Zambrano,R Parra-Medina,H F Restrepo-Guerrero,E Garavito-Rodríguez,M L Monsalve-Córdoba,P Santos-Moreno,L Villarreal,M C Cortés-Osma,A Gómez-López

doi:10.1136/annrheumdis-2023-eular.3885

Abstract

BackgroundCOVID-19 infection favors multiple chronic disparities in the base health status, currently known as post-COVID syndrome (PCS), that can be related to immunological variations. It is important to determine if these alterations (both clinical and immunological) exist in a long-term period in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have suffered from this infection.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to assess the immunological [Lymphocyte populations (LP) and Autoantibodies (Ab)] and clinical profile of RA patients who suffered from COVID-19 and compare it with non-COVID-19 RA patients.MethodsA nested Case-control study of RA patients evaluated under a multidisciplinary model and strict follow-up with a treat to target strategy (T2T). Cases: RA patients and confirmed COVID-19 infection in the last 24 months and Controls: RA patients with no history of this infection. Subgroups in cases: a) Long covid (LC): symptoms after infection that persist for ≥4 weeks; b) PCS: symptoms persist for ≥12 weeks and c) symptoms < 4 weeks. Sociodemographic, clinical, and paraclinical variables of RA and COVID-19 infection (in cases) were captured. Antinuclear antibodies (ANAS), anticardiolipin antibodies, LP (BD FACSDuet™ - BD FACSLyric™ multiparameter flow cytometry) T, C, and NK were evaluated. Univariate and bivariate analyzes (STATA 17) were performed. Approval ethics committee was obtained.ResultsA total of 300 patients were included (148 cases and 152 controls; 87.3% women). Median age 59 years (Interquartile range -IQR 11), disease duration 12 years (IQR 12). The 71.86% were in low disease activity. There were no significant differences in sociodemographic and clinical characteristics between cases and controls. Cases had a time since infection of 18.5 months (IQR 7). Of the total cases, 69% presented LC and 63% with PCS. No significant differences were found between cases and controls in the LP T, B and NK, nor in the Abs evaluated. Similarly, there were no differences in the immune profile evaluated when comparing patients with LC and PCS with those with symptoms < 4 weeks after COVID-19 infection.Table 1.Profile of autoantibodies and lymphocyte populations.LaboratoriesTotal group (300) (n %)Controls (152)(n %)Cases (148)(n %)P valueaANAs240(80)126(82.8)114(77.0)0.204ANAs Current title0.413 16046(19.17)23(18.25)23(20.18) 32097(40.42)47(37.30)50(43.86) 64058(24.17)37(29.37)21(18.42) 128033(13.75)16(12.70)17(14.91) 25606(2.50)3(2.38)3(2.63)Anticardiolipin IgG21(7)12(7.8)9(6.0)0.538Anticardiolipin IgM150(50)77(50.6)73(49.3)0.817bLymphocyte events2532.5(426.5)2518(281)2584(500)0.050cCD3+72.3(11.9)71.975(11.8)72.775(11.4)0.365CD3+CD8+24.16(11.9)23.45(12.2)24.775(11.6)0.073CD3+CD4+45.13(12.5)45.775(12.4)43.995(13.2)0.337CD3+CD4+CD8+0.76(0.8)0.76(0.8)0.74(0.8)0.506CD16+CD56+12.64(9)12.93(8.1)12.4(9.3)0.890CD19+12.4(8.8)12.4(9.2)12.3(8.4)0.239bCD45+2013.9 (1024.9)2023.3(846.6)2007.9 (1072.5)0.456c4/8 Ratio1.915(1.345)1.98(1.305)1.84(1.295)0.133aChi-square PearsonbMedian-IQRcU Mann-Whitney TestConclusionThe results propose a general description of a specific population of patients with RA with low disease activity, under treatment in a strict follow-up model, in which no differences were found in the behavior of the immunological profile (independent of symptoms of LC and PCS) evaluated long-term after infection with those who did not have COVID-19. This suggest that they return to their basal homeostatic state, something that has not yet been reported up to now. These results should forwardly be replicated in populations with other characteristics of RA.REFERENCES:NIL.Acknowledgements:NIL.Disclosure of InterestsJulián Arias-Aponte: None declared, Arley Gómez-López: None declared, Paula Daniela Nieto-Zambrano: None declared, Maria Camila Cortés-Osma: None declared, Hector Fabio Restrepo-Guerrero: None declared, María Lorcy Monsalve-Córdoba: None declared, Edgar Garavito-Rodríguez: None declared, Rafael Parra-Medina: None declared, Laura Villarreal: None declared, Adriana Rojas-Villarraga: None declared, Pedro Santos-Moreno Speakers bureau: Abbvie, Abbott, Biopas-UCB, Bristol, Janssen, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi, Grant/research support from: Abbvie, Abbott, Biopas-UCB, Bristol, Janssen, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi.

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