COVID-19 Infection in Renal Transplant Patients: Early Report From India

Bhandari, Gaurav; Tiwari, Vaibhav; Gupta, Anurag; Bhargava, Vinant; Malik, Manish; Gupta, Ashwani; Bhalla, Anil Kumar; Rana, Devinder S.

INTRODUCTION: COVID –19 has gripped the whole world and patients with comorbidities especially kidney ailments are at higher risk of developing severe disease. Among kidney disease, transplant patients are the most vulnerable group. Information on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in kidney transplant patients is very limited. METHODS: An observational study was conducted on 20 kidney transplant patients who tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by polymerase chain reaction from April to June 2020. RESULTS: The majority of cases were males (85%). The median age of the patients was 50 years (interquartile range [IQR] 40.75–60.75). Diabetes and hypertension were present in 55% and 95% of patients, respectively. Coronary artery disease was present in three patients (15%). The median time from transplant to COVID-19 testing was 54 months (IQR 36–105). Chronic allograft nephropathy was found in 35% of patients. The mean baseline creatinine was 1.71 mg/dL. The most common symptom was fever (80%). Acute Kidney Injury was seen in 60% of patients with a mean creatinine of 2.60 mg/dL. Based on severity, 50% of patients had mild disease, 25% moderate disease, and the remaining 25% had severe disease. All 20 patients were on oral steroids, calcineurin inhibitors (18 on tacrolimus and two on cyclosporine), and antimetabolite (19 on mycophenolate mofetil and one on azathioprine). Antimetabolite agents were stopped in all patients and tacrolimus was stopped in severe cases (25%). Hydroxychloroquine was given in 15 patients (75%). Fifteen patients (75%) recovered while five (25%) died. CONCLUSION: Kidney transplant recipients infected with COVID-19 have high mortality.