Eculizumab, SARS-CoV-2 and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome

Abstract

Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) treatment consists of eculizumab. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 causes severe pneumonia and endothelial injury that leads to a prothrombotic state that may be complicated by macrovascular and microvascular thrombosis. Complement activation is thought to contribute to endothelial injury and there are at least seven ongoing clinical trials testing six different anti-complement strategies for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), including eculizumab. We herein report on a kidney transplant patient with aHUS on chronic eculizumab therapy that developed severe COVID-19 despite eculizumab administration early in the course of the disease. Although eculizumab was unable to prevent the development of severe endothelial cell injury, as assessed by increasing D-dimer levels from 292 to 10 586 ng/mL, the patient eventually recovered following dexamethasone and convalescent plasma administration.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; aHUS; complement; eculizumab; kidney transplant.

FIGURE 1:

Chest CT scan images. (A) Bilateral and diffuse lower lung with predominant ground-glass opacities and consolidations at admission. (B) Progression of ground-glass opacities and consolidations 1 week after admission. (C) Resolution of bilateral opacities 2 weeks after admission.