The following is a summary of “Effect of degalactosylated bovine glycoprotein formulations MAF and M сapsules on lymphopenia and clinical outcomes in hospitalized COVID-19 patients: a randomized clinical trial,” published in the May 2024 issue of Infectious Disease by Inui et al.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study investigating whether stimulating gut mucosal immunity, which aids antigen processing without triggering excessive inflammation, could lessen the severity of COVID-19.
They involved 204 adults hospitalized with non-critical COVID-19 who received degalactosylated bovine glycoprotein formulations for 14 days in addition to SOC. The formulations included MAF capsules (MAF group), M capsules (M group), or only SOC (control group).
The results showed that the median recovery time without supplemental oxygen was 6 days in both groups, then nine days in the control (MAF vs. control; P=0.020 and M vs. control; P=0.004). More significant reductions in mortality were observed in the MAF group by day 14 (8.3% vs. 1.6%; P = 0.121) and day 29 (15.3% vs. 3.2%; P=0.020), the M group by day 14 (8.3% vs. 2.9%; P=0.276) and day 29 (15.3% vs. 2.9%; P=0.017). The proportion of patients with baseline absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) < 0.8 × 102/L was 20.6% in MAF, 24.6% in M, and 25.0% in the control group. Day 29 mortality among patients with lymphopenic was three times higher than for the intent-to-treat population (21% vs. 7%) with respective proportions: 15%, 12%, and 33%. Less mortality in both study subgroups correlated with ALC restoration above 0.8 × 109/L on day 14 in 91% (MAF) and 87.5% (M) survivors, compared to 53.3% in control. Incidences of ALC decrease below baseline on day 14 were 25.4% (MAF), 29.0% (M), and 45.8% (control), with ALC depletion by ≥ 50% from baseline at 7.9%, 5.8%, and 15.3% respectively.
Investigators concluded that the administration of both agents preserved and restored ALC levels, potentially explaining the improved clinical outcomes observed in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.
Source: bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-024-09286-0
