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Therapeutic Plasma Exchange to Alleviate Hyperinflammatory Condition During Severe Covid-19 Infections

Assessment of Therapeutic Plasma Exchange to Improve Respiratory Function by Alleviating Cytokine Storm During Severe Covid-19 Infections Randomised Open-label Controlled Trial

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04751643
Acronym
CovidEP
Enrollment
21
Registered
2021-02-12
Start date
2021-04-19
Completion date
2022-12-19
Last updated
2025-09-03

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

ARDS, Human, Covid19, Intensive Care Units

Keywords

Covid19, Therapeutic plasma exchange, Cytokine storm, Hyperinflammatory condition, Anti-IFN antibodies

Brief summary

Severe Covid-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) infections generate major but inappropriate production of cytokines and, in some cases, generate anti-IFN (Interferon) auto-antibodies, inducing acute respiratory distress syndrom (ARDS). Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) have been reported to be efficient for improving the hyperinflammatory condition state and the respiratory function, which has been described in case reports or small series. The study aims to remove cytokines during cytokine storm and anti-IFN auto-antibodies (when present) to prevent developpement of an inappropriate immune response and to improve the clinical response to reanimation treatment, in particular the respiratory parameters leading to a rapid improvement of clinical status. To that aim, the study investigates to compare a treatment using TPE plus usual treatments in intensive care unit (experimental arm) versus usual treatments in intensive care unit (routine arm) in a randomised trial.

Interventions

OTHERTherapeutic plasma exchange : 3 sessions in 3 consecutive days (day 1 to day 3)

Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) ; 3 sessions in 3 consecutive days (Day 1 to Day 3) in intensive care unit in addition to usual treatments. Plasma removed is replaced by thawed fresh frozen plasma. Plasma blood volume exchanged : 1.2 Apheresis type: centrifugation

OTHERUsual treatments in intensive care unit according to the current state of knowledge

Usual treatments of patients in intensive care unit with hyperinflammatory condition due to Covid-19 infection consist in supporting respiratory function, oxygen supplementation, non invasive ventilation, invasive ventilation, antibiotic, vasopressive support and corticosteroids (in absence of bacterial secondary infection)

Sponsors

Hospices Civils de Lyon
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Age ≥ 18 years * Hospitalized for COVID-19 confirmed by Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) or scanner * Patients with PaO2/FiO2 between 75 and 175 mmHg requiring non invasive ventilation or high flow oxygen * peripheral venous state allowing PE to be performed, according to the investigator's judgement, or possibility of placing a Sheldon-type veinous central line * At least two biological results suggesting a cytokine storm or hyperinflammatory condition state among : C-reactive protéine (CRP)\>50mg/L, Procalcitonin (PCT)\>1µg/L, Fibrinogen\>5g/L, D-dimer \>1000ng/mL, Ferritin \> 800ng/mL during the last 72 hours. * Treatment with corticosteroids (at least 2 intakes of dexamethasone 6 mg or equivalent with another form of corticosteroids) * Patient affiliated to a social security or similar scheme * Information and written consent from the patient or if not possible from a confident person

Exclusion criteria

* Ventilated intubated patients * Patient with advanced cancer and without curative possibility * Bacterial or viral (HIV) infection explaining the worsening (the main reason) * Body Mass Index \> 40 * Severe hemodynamic instability with mean arterial pressure \< 65 mmHg (whatever the noradrenaline dosage used) * Known Immunoglobulin A (IgA) deficiency with anti-IgA antibodies * Inclusion in another study that could interact with the Covidep study (investigator's judgement) * Patient under legal protection measure * Pregnant or breastfeeding women * In case of allergy to amotosalen (psoralens) or AI-FFP (Amotosalen Inactivated Fresh Frozen Plasma) , use Se-FFP (Secured Fresh Frozen Plasma)

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Use of intubation and invasive ventilation (IV) between Day 0 (Inclusion Visit) and Day 10At day 10Proportion of patients requiring intubation between Day 0 and Day 10. Intubation use will be measured in both arms at Day 10.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
PaO2/FIO2 (Partial Pressure of Oxygen/Fraction of Inspired Oxygen) (mmHg) at day 4 after inclusion (PaO2/FiO2 is a usual parameter for assessing evolution of ARDS)At Day 4PaO2/FIO2 (mmHg) at day 4 after inclusion. This parameter will be compared between day 4 and day 0.The change corresponds to an increase of PaO2/FIO2 ratio equal or superior than 20%. The proportion of patients with a PaO2/FiO2 change at Day 4 will be compared between both arms.
Percentage of patients weaned from non invasive ventilationAt day 10Percentage of patients weaned from high flow oxygen. This parameter is compared between both arms (experimental and control arms).
O2 weaning capacity and duration of O2 dependenceAt day 60This parameter is compared between both arms (experimental and control arms).
Survival at day 10At day 10Percentage of patients alive at day 10 after inclusion. This parameter is compared between both arms.
Survival at 2 monthsAt day 60 (+/- 2 days)Percentage of patients alive at 2 months after inclusion. This parameter is compared between both arms.
Assess the adverse events according to CTCAE v5.0Throughout the study : Day 1 to Day 10 and to the end of the study (Day 60 +/- 2 days)Adverse events according to CTCAE v5.0 measured throughout the study, in both groups, including tolerance to TPEs in the experimental group over the course of the study sessions.
Variation in cytokine and chemokine levels in the cytokine stormAt day 4Percentage of patients without any increase in cytokine or chemokine levels. Leucocyte and platelet cytokine or chemokine levels in ng/ml are assessed in both arms. Analysis of the entire panel of cytokines or chemokines defines an improvement or not. Comparison between both arms.
Percentage of patients with improved phenotype (decreased phenotype of exhausted cells) and improved function (improved proliferation)At day 7Lymphocyte and NK (Natural Killer) labeling and analysis by flow cytometry at day 0 and day 7. Analysis of lymphocyte proliferation (after stimulation) at day 0 and day 7. Analysis of percentage of patients with improved phenotype (decreased phenotype of exhausted cells) and improved function (improved proliferation) ; this parameter is compared between both arms.
Percentage of patients with decreased platelet activationAt Day 4Phenotype of platelets and flow cytometry analysis performed before and after TPE or usual treatment. Percentage of patients with decreased platelet activation at day 4 ; this parameter is compared between both arms.
Change in anti-IFN auto-antibodies type I (α and ω) levelDay 0 and Day 4Change in anti-IFN auto-antibodies type I (α and ω) level at day 0 and day 4.
Percentage of patients without any increase in inflammatory parameters (analysis of C-reactive protein, Fibrinogen,D-Dimers, procalcitonin, Ferritin)At day 4Percentage of patients without any increase in inflammatory parameters (analysis of C-reactive protein, Fibrinogen,D-Dimers, procalcitonin, Ferritin ) at day 4 compared to values at day 0. This parameter is compared between both arms.

Countries

France

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026