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Review
. 2021;144(5):508-518.
doi: 10.1159/000514071. Epub 2021 Feb 25.

Immune Dysfunction in Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Challenges during COVID-19 Pandemic

Petra Langerbeins  1   2 , Barbara Eichhorst  3   4
Affiliations
Review

Immune Dysfunction in Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Challenges during COVID-19 Pandemic

Petra Langerbeins et al. Acta Haematol. 2021.

Abstract

The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has been first described in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, and has led to a worldwide pandemic ever since. Initial clinical data imply that cancer patients are particularly at risk for a severe course of SARS-CoV-2. In patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), infections are a main contributor to morbidity and mortality driven by an impaired immune system. Treatment initiation is likely to induce immune modulation that further increases the risk for severe infections. This article aims to give an overview on pathogenesis and risk of infectious complications in patients with CLL. In this context, we discuss current data of SARS-CoV-2 infections in patients with CLL and how the pandemic impacts their management.

Keywords: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia; Coronavirus disease 2019; Immunodeficiency; Infections.

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Conflict of interest statement

P.L. receives research grants from Janssen-Cilag and consulting honoraria from Janssen-Cilag, Abbvie, and Roche. B.E. has received personal fee from Janssen-Cilag, Roche, Novartis, Abbvie, Gilead, Celgene, ArQule, Astrazeneca, Oxford Biomedica, and Adaptive Biotechnologies and research funding from Janssen-Cilag, Roche, Abbvie, Gilead, and Beigene.

References

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