Favorable outcome of COVID-19 in a young woman with severe Crohn's disease on regular use of adalimumab and prednisone: a case report

Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo. 2020 Dec 18;62:e102. doi: 10.1590/S1678-9946202062102. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

COVID-19 is a viral disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 that compromises the host immune response in severe cases, promoting a hyperinflammation that results in acute lung injury and multiple organs failure. In this context, patients presenting with immune-related diseases, such as Crohn's disease, affected by COVID-19, may have an uncertain prognosis. We report on a case of a young female patient with a severe Crohn's disease that presented with COVID-19 pneumonia and a favorable outcome even maintaining the use of adalimumab, TNF - alpha inhibitor and prednisone. This case raises the hypothesis that aside from prednisone, TNF-α inhibitors such as adalimumab could be used to stop the progression to COVID-19 complications by blocking the TNF-alpha-driven inflammatory process that occurs in severe COVID-19.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adalimumab / therapeutic use*
  • COVID-19*
  • Crohn Disease / drug therapy*
  • Crohn Disease / virology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Prednisone / therapeutic use*
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors
  • Adalimumab
  • Prednisone