The prognostic value of C-reactive protein (CRP) in assessing disease progression in COVID-19 is well known: The steeper the CRP rise in the days after infection and the higher the CRP concentration at hospitalization, the worse the prognosis. It is believed that CRP concentration not only reflects tissue damage but also causally contributes to the severity of the damage that occurs. CRP apheresis effectively limits CRP rise, which may lead to improved prognosis. CRP apheresis is a therapeutic hemapheresis procedure that selectively removes C-reactive protein from the patient's plasma. Other causal therapies for immediate selective reduction of CRP in the acute phase of disease are not currently available.
In the planned 'CAPMYKCO' study, CRP-apheresis in addition to current standard COVID-19 therapy is expected to mitigate the severity of disease progression, particularly with regard to tissue injury in the lungs, the heart and/or the kidneys and their respective clinical consequences.
CRP-apheresis treatment in COVID-19 patients should reduce the necessity and duration of non-invasive / invasive ventilation compared to the control group.
The influence of CRP-apheresis on the course of the COVID-19 disease will also be demonstrated by evaluating different organ biomarkers and the duration of intensive medical treatment.
