Clinical Trials and Expanded Access

The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of SARS-Cov2 infection among health care workers exposed of Lille University Hospital, to describe its evolution during the epidemic taking into account the influence of occupational and environmental exposure determinants.

This is a double-blinded, two-arm, randomized, placebo controlled study comparing the virological efficacy of add-on sirolimus with standard care to placebo and standard care. Virological efficacy is defined as the change from baseline to day 7 in SARS-CoV-2 viral burden measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.

SARS-CoV-2 induces over-production of inflammatory cytokines, and especially interleukin-6 (IL-6). The apparently strong association between blood levels of inflammaory cytokines and SARS-CoV-2 disease severity has led clinicians to evaluate the administration of steroids or anti-IL-6 antagonists in severely ill patients. As of this day, biomarkers capable of predicting clinical disease progression in Covid-19 patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms have not yet been formally identified. Identifying such markers and evaluating their predictive value may be exploited to guide patient care management, and as such forms the core objective of this proposal. Because of strong inter-individual variations in the ability of innate immune cells to produce cytokines, the hypothesis the investigators formulate and intend to test is that innate IL-6 responsiveness varies between recently infected Covid-19 patients and could predict disease outcome. To test this hypothesis, the investigators propose to follow recently infected chronic haemodialysis patients with moderate Covid-19 symptoms. These patients stand a higher risk to progress to severe disease. The investigators plan to collect a blood sample in these patients using a system whereby ex vivo cytokine production is initiated in the very same blood collection tube without prior separation and centrifugation, thus reducing labour and operator bias. After incubation with or without known innate immune stimuli, the cell-free phase from each collection-culture tube will be assayed for IL-6 content. Associations between IL-6 content and disease outcome (encephalopathy, transfer to acute care or death) will be determined in 115 Covid-19 chronic haemodialysis patients with moderate symptoms followed in 9 centers.

The primary objective of this trial is to improve the proportion of COVID-19 patients with severe pneumonia who no longer need to be hospitalized, and to reduce the need for and duration of mechanical ventilation in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

The main objectives of this study are 1) to establish the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in asymptomatic healthcare workers (HCWs) in an early phase of community spread as well as 2) to monitor the future spread of the disease by assessing serological responses to SARS-CoV-2 in symptomatic and asymptomatic HCWs over time and 3) to improve the assessment of the immune response and its protective effect as well as the assessment of infectivity of affected HCWs and 4) to evaluate the value and significance of antibody formation and serological antibody tests and 5) to be able to evaluate possible future preventive and / or therapeutic approaches against SARS-CoV-2

Prophylactic treatment in cancer patients undergoing antineoplastic therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A prospective, longitudinal, observational cohort study looking at patients following COVID-19 disease using multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess the degree and prevalence of organ injury.

SARS-CoV-2 induces over-production of inflammatory cytokines, and especially interleukin-6 (IL-6). The apparently strong association between blood levels of inflammaory cytokines and SARS-CoV-2 disease severity has led clinicians to evaluate the administration of steroids or anti-IL-6 antagonists in severely ill patients. As of this day, biomarkers capable of predicting clinical disease progression in Covid-19 patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms have not yet been formally identified. Identifying such markers and evaluating their predictive value may be exploited to guide patient care management, and as such forms the core objective of this proposal. Because of strong inter-individual variations in the ability of innate immune cells to produce cytokines, the hypothesis formulate and intend to test is that innate IL-6 responsiveness varies between recently infected Covid-19 patients and could predict disease outcome. To test this hypothesis, the investigator propose to follow recently infected kidney transplant patients with moderate Covid-19 symptoms. These patients stand a higher risk to progress to severe disease. The staff plan to collect a blood sample in these patients using a system whereby ex vivo cytokine production is initiated in the very same blood collection tube without prior separation and centrifugation, thus reducing labour and operator bias. After incubation with or without known innate immune stimuli, the cell-free phase from each collection-culture tube will be assayed for IL-6 content. Associations between IL-6 content and disease outcome (encephalopathy, transfer to acute care or death) will be determined in 115 Covid-19 kidney transplant patients with moderate symptoms followed in 9 centers.

Healthcare personnel are at an increased risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection while handling such patients. Currently, there is no treatment available for SARS-CoV-2 and stringent preventive measures are advised to avoid or minimize risk of exposure to healthcare workers. There are in vitro studies available which show inhibition of corona virus by hydroxychloroquine, a widely-used agent against malaria and certain autoimmune conditions and of low-cost and limited toxicity. However, evidence regarding its effects in patients is limited. We plan to conduct a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the safety and potential prophylactic efficacy of hydroxychloroquine in preventing secondary SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers at high-risk of exposure while managing such patients.

Coronavirus COVID-19 is an emerging virus also called Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Eighty percent of patients are poor or asymptomatic. However, there are major respiratory complications for some patients, requiring intensive care hospitalization and possibly leading to death in 5% of cases. One of the hypotheses put forward is that much of the pathophysiology is due to endothelial dysfunction associated with disseminated intravascular coagulation. The covid-19 pathology could induce coagulation impairment as observed during sepsis. An increase in D-dimer levels during covid-19 disease is itself associated with excess mortality. While D-dimers are highly sensitive, they are not specific for clotting activity. They may be increased in many other circumstances, particularly in inflammation. On the other hand, the infection stimulates the release of extracellular vesicles. These vesicles, of multiple cellular origin, are an actor of vascular homeostasis, and participate in the state of hyperactivation of coagulation. They have a major role in the prothrombotic state and the development of coagulopathy associated with sepsis. The aim of our monocentric prospective study would be to study early and more specific markers of hypercoagulability and markers of routine endothelial dysfunction, as soon as the patient is hospitalized, in order to predict the risk of hospitalization in intensive care.