Renal Involvement in Patients with COVID-19 Pneumonia and Outcomes After Stem Cell Nebulization

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic presented an unprecedented challenge to identify effective drugs for prevention and treatment.

Objective

To characterize acute renal injury (AKI) in patients with COVID-19 and their relation with clinical outcomes within the framework of the SENTAD COVID clinical trial at the Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center.

Methods

Abu Dhabi Stem Cell Center (ADSCC) proposed a prospective clinical trial nebulization treatment with autologous stem cells (Non-Hematopoietic Peripheral Blood Stem Cells (NHPBSC)), at Abu Dhabi hospitals.

Participants

20 treated patients were compared with 23 not treated patients. Both groups received COVID 19 standard treatment.

Outcomes

After the results were collected, this study was created to determine the impact of the disease on the renal function and the efficacy of the therapy on patient’s outcomes.

Results

One third of the critical patients studied suffered kidney failure. Patients in the treated group showed a favorable tendency to improve in contrast to those in the control group. Less patients from group A suffered from sepsis in comparison with the group B (25% vs 65%), HR=0.38, (95% Confidence Interval: 0.16 – 0.86), *p=0.0212. These results suggested a NNT=2.5. An improvement in lymphocyte count, CRP, and shorter hospital stay after treatment was evidenced, which led to less superinfection and sepsis in the treated group.

Conclusions

The proposed anti-inflammatory effect of the stem cells, offers a great promise for managing the illness, emerging as a crucial adjuvant tool in promoting healing and early recovery in severe COVID-19 infections and other supportive treatments.

ARTICLE SUMMARY

Our study had several strengths and limitation:

• It was a randomized trial.

• The treatment showed a positive result, providing evidence that this intervention is effective in routine practice.

• We found fewer complications related to prolonged hospital stay in the treated group.

• The is the small number of participants.

• It was carried out in 4 different hospitals, each with different criteria for the selection of the initial empirical antimicrobials, which can cause multiple resistant germs.