Clinical trial NCT04355247: Prophylactic Corticosteroid to Prevent COVID-19 Cytokine Storm
Official title: Prophylactic Corticosteroid to Prevent COVID-19 Cytokine Storm
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: UNKNOWN
Phase: PHASE2
Conditions: Covid-19
Keywords: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)-Cov-2 Virus
Lead sponsor: Auxilio Mutuo Cancer Center
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2020-04-21
Enrollment: 20
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Intervention model description: This is a pilot Phase II exploratory study. It is a non-randomized study which will be carried out at Auxilio Mutuo Hospital and possibly at other institutions to be recruited.

The investigator plans to enter a total of 20 patients in order to determine whether the risk of progressing to respiratory failure can be reduced by administering corticosteroids.

The investigator assume that virtually all patients who met the criteria for entry into this trial will develop respiratory insufficiency if left untreated.

If \</= 50% of patients with high risk develop respiratory failure the investigator will consider the treatment as successful.
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: This is a Phase II pilot exploratory study designed to investigate if prophylactic treatment with short term steroids administered to high risk Covid-19 patient might prevent cytokine storm and progression to respiratory failure. High risk is defined based on serologic markers of inflammation that include abnormalities of Interleukin 6 (IL-6), Ferritin , D-dimer, Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH), as well as lymphopenia and impaired O2 saturation prior to or on the 7th day of first symptom of Covid-19.

Detailed description: To decrease the rate of progression to hypoxemic respiratory failure in high risk patients with Covid-19, treated with prophylactic steroids during the first phase of the disease.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* All patients diagnosed with Covid-19 will be registered on the study regardless pf their severity, but only those who meet high risk criteria will be treated with steroids. Those who don't meet the criteria will only be registered with no need to collect further data except baseline labs and CT Chest. They should sign the consent form and the data manager can collect the rest of the information.
* Patients older than 18 years diagnosed with Covid-19 by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) or by rapid serological test will be eligible. Cases who are Immunoglobulin G (IgG) positive but Immunoglobulin M (IgM) negative, will not be considered eligible unless they are positive for molecular PCR test. Eligible patients will be registered on study on or before 7 days from first onset of symptoms.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Any patient with life expectancy \< 1 month
* Any patient who is oxygen dependent
* Any patient with long standing history of severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
* Any patient who is chronically oxygen dependent because of previous existing lung disease
* Anyone with severely uncontrolled diabetes despite adequate management
* Anyone with active serious bacterial infection such as septicemia or pneumonia
* Anyone receiving Tocilizumab (anti IL-6 therapy) or plasma therapy
* Any patient already receiving steroids from another pre-existing illness

Primary outcomes:
measure: Clinical complete response criteria
timeFrame: 14 days
measure: Clinical Partial Response criteria
timeFrame: 14 days
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Secondary response criteria
timeFrame: 14 days
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: San Juan
country: Puerto Rico
facility: San Juan City Hospital / Puerto Rico Medical Center
city: San Juan
country: Puerto Rico
facility: Hospital Auxilio Mutuo Cancer Center
Study officials:
affiliation: Hospital Español Auxilio Mutuo
name: Fernando Cabanillas, MD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
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citation: Wu C, Chen X, Cai Y, Xia J, Zhou X, Xu S, Huang H, Zhang L, Zhou X, Du C, Zhang Y, Song J, Wang S, Chao Y, Yang Z, Xu J, Zhou X, Chen D, Xiong W, Xu L, Zhou F, Jiang J, Bai C, Zheng J, Song Y. Risk Factors Associated With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and Death in Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pneumonia in Wuhan, China. JAMA Intern Med. 2020 Jul 1;180(7):934-943. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.0994.
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