Evaluation of Specific Antibody Levels Against SARS-COV-2 In Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy for Gynecologic Malignancies

Immunocompromised patients and those receiving immunosuppressive treatments are more prone to severe forms of COVID-19 disease. Moreover, these patients may have asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, which could make the diagnosis challenging. It is thus crucial to accurately determine the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and its association with clinical outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibody serum levels in patients with gynecologic malignancies undergoing chemotherapy.

In this longitudinal study, all patients with gynecologic malignancies who were undergoing chemotherapy in the Gynecology and Obstetrics ward of Ghaem Hospital, Iran, were enrolled. Patients’ demographic data were extracted from the electronic archives. Levels of SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM antibodies were assessed in patients, once on the first day of hospitalization and once again two weeks later. Patients were also tested for COVID-19 PCR before hospitalization, or concurrently with antibody testing.

38 patients with a mean age of 49.08 ± 16.74 years were studied. 86.8% of patients had ovarian cancers, 44.7% were undergoing chemotherapy in a neoadjuvant setting, and 23.7% were being treated due to recurrence. TC was the most frequently employed chemotherapy regime, used in 68.4% of cases. Only one patient (2.6%) reported clinical symptoms of covid-19 infection (fever).Covid-19 PCR was positive in 2 (5.3%). First IgM levels were positive in all patients (94.7% low), while second IgM levels were negative in 89.5%. First IgG levels were positive in all patients (76.3% low), and second IgG levels were negative in 89.5%.

This research provided valuable data on the SARS-COV-2 seropositivity in patients with gynecologic malignancies. However, our study was limited by the small population size and lack of patients with clinical symptoms and positive PCR for COVID-19. Further studies are warranted to illuminate the relationship between SARS-COV-2 seropositivity and clinical outcomes.