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MULTIPLE MYELOMA, GAMMOPATHIES

COVID-19 convalescent plasma retains value for immunocompromised patients

Leukemia volume 37, pages 1762–1763 (2023)Cite this article

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We read with interest the recent review by Terpos et al. on management of COVID-19 in multiple myeloma (MM) patients.

We disagree with some of the authors recommendations against convalescent plasma use. In particular, they state that “it is extremely difficult to have convalescent plasma against the novel mutants”. This is not true for 2 reasons. The first is that the double exposure both infection and vaccination has generated heterologous hybrid immunity, which we and others have shown leading to much higher neutralizing antibody titers than in convalescents only. In addition, neutralization potency is preserved against recent SARS-CoV-2 variants such as BQ.1.* and XBB.1.* [1, 2]. Second, the vast majority of regular donors now have heterologous immunity, making convalescent plasma procurement easier than ever along the course of the pandemic. The eventual shortage of convalescent plasma stocks within transfusion services is then just semantic, given that the vast majority of plasma units collected every day would qualify as convalescent plasma.

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. North-Western Tuscany Blood Bank, Pisa University Hospital, Pisa, Italy

    Daniele Focosi

  2. Division of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Carlo Poma Hospital, Mantua, Italy

    Massimo Franchini

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  1. Daniele Focosi
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  2. Massimo Franchini
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DF and MF designed the study and wrote the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Massimo Franchini.

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Focosi, D., Franchini, M. COVID-19 convalescent plasma retains value for immunocompromised patients. Leukemia 37, 1762–1763 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41375-023-01939-4

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