Clinical exacerbation of SARS‐CoV2 infection after fingolimod withdrawal
Víctor Gómez‐Mayordomo, Paloma Montero‐Escribano, Jordi A. Matías‐Guiu, Jordi A. Matías‐Guiu, N. González-García, J. Porta‐Etessam, Jorge Matías‐Guiu, Jorge Matías‐Guiu
Abstract
The role of disease-modifying therapies in patients with autoimmune disorders during severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) infection is controversial. Immunocompromised patients could have a more severe coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) due to the absence of an adequate immune response against the SARS-CoV-2. However, therapies that act on immune response could play a protective role by dampening the cytokine-release syndrome. Fingolimod is a drug used for immune therapy in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) through the sequestration of activated lymphocytes in the lymph nodes. We report the case of a 57-year-old man with relapsing-remitting MS treated with fingolimod that showed a reactivation of COVID-19 with signs of hyperinflammation syndrome after fingolimod withdrawal. Our case suggests that discontinuation of fingolimod during COVID-19 could imply a worsening of SARS-CoV2 infection.