Lupus & antiphospholipid syndrome
Evaluation of the effects of pre-exposure treatment with hydroxychloroquine on the risk of COVID-19 infection and on the efficacy of anti-COVID-19 vaccination during lupus or Gougerot-Sjögren’s disease: Prepcov multicentre trial
Authors' conclusion
HCQ treatment that was initiated before the pandemic did not protect against COVID-19 infection.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with SLE, Gougerot-Sjögren's disease, autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cholangitis or cured viral hepatitis C
- Participants
- 547 patients
- Exposure
- Long-term hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) with or without immunosuppressive therapy (IS), initiated before the pandemic, vs no HCQ
- HCQ+IS+n = 112reference
- HCQ+IS-n = 121
- HCQ-IS+n = 115
- HCQ-IS-n = 199
- Outcome
- Risk of COVID-19 infection
Methodological detailsmulticentre, Vaccination efficacy assessed prospectively by postvaccination antibody titre
- Multicentre
- Vaccination efficacy assessed prospectively by postvaccination antibody titre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- HCQ-IS+ vs HCQ+IS+: P < 0.001
- HCQ-IS- vs HCQ+IS+: P < 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | P value |
|---|---|
| Symptomatic or severe COVID-19 infectionHCQ-IS+ vs HCQ+IS+ · lower risk | P = 0.001 |
| Symptomatic or severe COVID-19 infectionHCQ-IS- vs HCQ+IS+ · lower risk | P < 0.001 |
COVID-19 immunity after the last vaccine dose
- Only patients with two or more exposures (to vaccine and/or infection) had an increased likelihood of COVID-19 immunity (p<0.001)
Original publication
Evaluation of the effects of pre-exposure treatment with hydroxychloroquine on the risk of COVID-19 infection and on the efficacy of anti-COVID-19 vaccination during lupus or Gougerot-Sjögren’s disease: Prepcov multicentre trial. Lupus Sci Med. Published 5 March 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →