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The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence and clinical course of IgA vasculitis in paediatric patients

Karol Poplicha1*, Tomasz Ufniarski1*, Jarosław Ucieklak1, Edyta Podsiadły2, Monika Jerzykowska3, Małgorzata Mizerska-Wasiak4

Affiliacja i adres do korespondencji
Pediatr Med Rodz 2024; 20 (2)
10.15557/PiMR.2024.0026
Streszczenie

Introduction and objective: Immunoglobulin A vasculitis is an autoimmune disorder resulting from immune complex accumulation in small blood vessels causing skin, joint, abdominal, and kidney manifestations. This study evaluates the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on immunoglobulin A vasculitis incidence and clinical course in paediatric patients. Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis of medical records from a single university paediatric hospital compared 117 patients presenting with immunoglobulin A vasculitis before and 57 after the COVID-19 epidemic announcement in Poland on March 20, 2020. Laboratory results, hospitalisation duration, preceding infections, clinical presentation, allergic and COVID- 19 vaccination history, and immunoglobulin A vasculitis patient proportion among all admissions were analysed. Results: The study of 174 patients showed the average age during the pandemic (5.51 ± 3.10) was significantly lower than prepandemic (6.98 ± 3.67) (p < 0.05). Pre-pandemic, more hospitalised patients had immunoglobulin A vasculitis (1.14%) compared to during the pandemic (0.47%) (p < 0.05). Food allergies were more common during the pandemic (20.8%) than before (8.8%) (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found in hospitalisation duration, immunoglobulin A vasculitis nephritis, and abdominal symptoms incidence (p = 0.194, p = 0.381, p = 0.968, respectively). Three patients had COVID-19 infection at admission. Conclusions: The pandemic led to fewer immunoglobulin A vasculitis hospitalisations but did not alter the disease’s clinical course or immunoglobulin A vasculitis nephritis incidence. In the context of the resurgence of COVID-19 infections, it is important to consider them as a potential factor affecting immunoglobulin A vasculitis. Ongoing research is essential to understand these dynamics and guide effective clinical management of immunoglobulin A vasculitis amidst the evolving COVID-19 setting.

Słowa kluczowe
COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, paediatrics, IgA vasculitis

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