SARS-CoV-2 infection among liver and kidney transplantation recipients in Shiraz, Iran

Abstract Background; The vulnerability of immunosuppressed populations, including transplant recipients, to infectious diseases has been brought to light once more by the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to look into any possible relationships between COVID-19 and post-transplantation results in liver and kidney transplant recipients. Material and methods; Individuals who had undergone liver and kidney transplants and tested positive for COVID-19 underwent a retrospective review of their medical records. Patient demographics, transplant characteristics, immunosuppressive therapy, and COVID-19 results were all recorded. Then, nasopharyngeal swab samples were utilized for the whole genome sequencing on the Nanopore NGS platform. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association among transplant-related Immunosuppression, biological biomarkers, and COVID-19 susceptibility. Results; The study found a potential correlation between COVID-19 and adverse post-transplantation outcomes in liver and kidney transplant patients. Higher D-dimer in liver transplant patients was seen (p = 0.003). There was also significant rise in RBC (p=0.047), Hb (p=0.027), and Htc (p=0.008) after transplantation. Discussion and conclusion; The present study provides valuable insights into the potential correlation between COVID-19 and post-transplantation outcomes in liver and kidney transplant patients. The management of transplant recipients during the COVID-19 pandemic would benefit from the current study's findings.