SARS-CoV-2 infection in kidney transplant recipients: clinical impact and outcomes - a single center experience

ABSTRACT Introduction: Kidney transplant recipients are a subgroup of patients at higher risk of critical forms of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and poor outcomes due to immunosuppression treatment. Herein, we present data from a single center cohort of kidney transplant recipients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: In a prospective study, baseline characteristics, clinical features, antiviral and immunosuppression management were compared between outpatients and hospitalized patients, during a one-year period. Results: Seventy-seven kidney transplant recipients were analyzed, including outpatients and hospitalized patients, with a median age of 57.7 (IQR 49.7-64.9) years. Twenty-eight (36.4%) were managed as outpatients, while 49 (63.6%) patients required hospital admission. Among hospitalized patients, 18.4% were admitted in ICU, 49% had AKI, and 20.4% died. Immunosuppression adjustments were performed in 95.9% of hospitalized patients, with dose of anti-metabolites adjusted in 83.7%, mTOR inhibitors in 14.3%, calcineurin inhibitors in 12.2%, and corticosteroid therapy in 81.6%. Conclusion: Among hospitalized patients, immunosuppression management included reduction or withdrawal of anti-metabolite and increase of corticosteroid dose. AKI occurred in almost half of patients and mortality in hospitalized patients reached 20%, reflecting greater disease severity than the general population.

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Immunosuppressive Management of Pediatric Kidney Transplant Recipients

Current Pharmaceutical Design ◽

10.2174/1381612826666200708133429 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 26 (28) ◽

pp. 3451-3459

Author(s):

Tomáš Seeman

Keyword(s):

Immunosuppressive Therapy ◽

Kidney Transplant ◽

Induction Therapy ◽

Graft Loss ◽

Calcineurin Inhibitors ◽

Mtor Inhibitors ◽

Therapeutic Drug ◽

High Dose ◽

Transplant Recipients ◽

Kidney Transplant Recipients

: Kidney transplantation is a preferable treatment of children with end-stage kidney disease. All kidney transplant recipients, including pediatric need immunosuppressive medications to prevent rejection episodes and graft loss. : Induction therapy is used temporarily only immediately following transplantation while maintenance immunosuppressive drugs are started and given long-term. There is currently no consensus regarding the use of induction therapy in children; its use should be decided based on the immunological risk of the child. : The recent progress shows that the recommended strategy is to use as maintenance immunosuppressive therapy a combination of a calcineurin inhibitor (preferably tacrolimus) with an antiproliferative drug (preferably mycophenolate mofetil) with steroids that can be withdrawn early or late in low-risk children. The mTOR-inhibitors (sirolimus, everolimus) are used rarely in pediatrics because of common side effects and no evidence of a benefit over calcineurin inhibitors. The use of calcineurin inhibitors, mycophenolate, and mTOR-inhibitors should be followed by therapeutic drug monitoring. : Immunosuppressive therapy of acute rejection consists of high-dose steroids and/or anti-lymphocyte antibodies (T-cell mediated rejection) or plasma exchange, intravenous immunoglobulines and/or rituximab (antibodymediated rejection). : The future strategies for research are mainly precise characterisation of children needing induction therapy, more specific indications for mTOR-inhibitors and for the far future, the possibility to reach the immuno tolerance.

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