Immunostimulation with Interferon-γ in protracted SARS-Cov-2 pneumonia.

Deep immunosuppression is a major hallmark of COVID-19 patients with altered IFN-release, low monocyte HLA-DR expression (mHLA-DR), and profound lymphopenia accompanied by functional CD8+ T cell impairments. In this context, patients under chronic use of immunomodulatory therapeutics with pre-existent altered immune surveillance and defective anti-viral immunity may be at increased risk for protracted SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. We report here COVID-19 pneumonia course in a 68-years-old female patient with rheumatoid arthritis chronically treated with rituximab (anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody). Due to rapid clinical deterioration and viral persistence despite convalescent plasma (CP) therapy, a treatment with IFN-γ was successfully instituted. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.