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. 2021 Aug 27;10(17):3842.
doi: 10.3390/jcm10173842.

Incidence of COVID-19 Hospitalisation in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Nationwide Cohort Study from Denmark

René Cordtz  1   2 , Salome Kristensen  1   3 , Louise Plank Holm Dalgaard  1 , Rasmus Westermann  1 , Kirsten Duch  1   4 , Jesper Lindhardsen  5 , Christian Torp-Pedersen  6   7 , Lene Dreyer  1   2   3
Affiliations

Incidence of COVID-19 Hospitalisation in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Nationwide Cohort Study from Denmark

René Cordtz et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Background: Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have an increased risk of infections due to impaired immune functions, disease activity, and treatment. This study investigated the impact of having SLE on the incidence of hospitalisation with COVID-19 infection.

Methods: This was a nationwide cohort study from Denmark between 1 March 2020 to 2 February 2021, based on the linkage of several nationwide registers. The adjusted incidence of COVID-19 hospitalisation was estimated for patients with SLE compared with the general population in Cox-regression models. Among SLE patients, the hazard ratio (HR) for hospitalisation was analysed as nested case-control study.

Results: Sixteen of the 2533 SLE patients were hospitalised with COVID-19 infection. The age-sex adjusted rate per 1000 person years was 6.16 (95% CI 3.76-10.08) in SLE patients, and the corresponding hazard ratio was 2.54 (95% CI 1.55-4.16) compared with the matched general population group after adjustment for comorbidities. Among SLE patients, hydroxychloroquine treatment was associated with a HR for hospitalisation of 0.61 (95% CI 0.19-1.88), and 1.06 (95% CI 0.3-3.72) for glucocorticoid treatment.

Conclusion: Patients with SLE were at increased risk of hospitalisation with COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19; glucocorticoids; hydroxychloroquine; systemic lupus erythematosus.

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Conflict of interest statement

R.C., S.K., L.P.H.D., K.D., R.W. and J.L. have no disclosures or conflicts of interests. C.T.-P. has received grants for studies from Bayer and Novo Nordisk not relevant to the current study. L.D. has received research grant/research support from BMS, and speakers’ bureau from Eli Lilly and Galderma. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Predicted risk of COVID-19 hospitalisation in % follow-up in months for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and the general population stratified by sex and age.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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