The Clinical Course of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Patients With Autoimmune Neutropenia: A Retrospective Case Series Study

Gioacchino Andrea Rotulo; Giulia Ceglie; Annalisa Candino; Antonella Merola; Elisa Profeti; Carmela Giancotta; Stefania Mercadante; Veronica Santilli; Nicola Cotugno; Paolo Palma; Giuseppe Palumbo; Andrea Finocchi

doi:10.1097/INF.0000000000004093

The Clinical Course of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Patients With Autoimmune Neutropenia: A Retrospective Case Series Study

Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2023 Nov 1;42(11):e403-e406. doi: 10.1097/INF.0000000000004093. Epub 2023 Sep 22.

Authors

Gioacchino Andrea Rotulo¹, Giulia Ceglie^{2

3}, Annalisa Candino⁴, Antonella Merola⁴, Elisa Profeti⁴, Carmela Giancotta¹, Stefania Mercadante⁴, Veronica Santilli¹, Nicola Cotugno¹, Paolo Palma^{1

5}, Giuseppe Palumbo^{2

5}, Andrea Finocchi^{1

5}

Affiliations

¹ From the Research Unit of Clinical Immunology and Vaccinology, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
² Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
³ Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata," Rome, Italy.
⁴ Department of Systems Medicine, The School of Pediatrics, University of Rome "Tor Vergata," Rome, Italy.
⁵ Department of Systems Medicine, Chair of Pediatrics, University of Rome "Tor Vergata," Rome, Italy.

PMID: 37773636
DOI: 10.1097/INF.0000000000004093

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in children with autoimmune neutropenia may be a cause for concern. In this retrospective study, none of the 24 autoimmune neutropenia cases manifested severe coronavirus disease 2019. We found a significant improvement in neutrophils and a reduction in lymphocytes at post-infection follow-up compared with the median of previous values. We speculate that this paradoxical effect may be due to postinfection immunological phenomena.