tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Transplant Proc
. 2020 Dec 16;S0041-1345(20)32904-3.
doi: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2020.11.009. Online ahead of print.
SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence and Clinical Features of COVID-19 in a German Liver Transplant Recipient Cohort: A Prospective Serosurvey Study
Conrad Rauber[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Shilpa Tiwari-Heckler[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jan Pfeiffenberger[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Arianeb Mehrabi[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Frederike Lund[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Philip Gath[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Markus Mieth[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Uta Merle[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Christian Rupp[SUP] 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: In liver transplant (LT) recipients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), fatal outcome has been reported in a substantial subset of patients. Whether LT recipients are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 compared with the general population is controversial. Here we report the results of a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) serosurvey in a large LT recipient cohort.
Methods: A total of 219 LT recipients were enrolled between May 5, 2020, and August 6, 2020, at the University Hospital Heidelberg. Serum blood samples were collected and tested for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in nasopharyngeal swabs using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assays.
Results: Taking into account known risk factors of arterial hypertension, obesity, diabetes, or leukopenia, LT recipients a priori represented a high-risk cohort for severe COVID-19 with 101 of 219 (46.1%) presenting with more than 2 risk factors for severe COVID-19. Out of 219 LT recipients, 8 (3.7%) either had a positive test result for nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 RNA or anti-SARS-CoV-2 serum IgG. Five of eight (62.5%) did not show any clinical signs of infection, three of eight (37.5%) had self-limited disease, and none required hospitalization for COVID-19. Two of eight (25%) had known exposure to infected health care staff as the probable source of infection.
Conclusions: In summary, LT recipients showed a SARS-CoV-2 seroconversion rate similar to that of the general population with a substantial percentage of unrecognized infections.
. 2020 Dec 16;S0041-1345(20)32904-3.
doi: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2020.11.009. Online ahead of print.
SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence and Clinical Features of COVID-19 in a German Liver Transplant Recipient Cohort: A Prospective Serosurvey Study
Conrad Rauber[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Shilpa Tiwari-Heckler[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jan Pfeiffenberger[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Arianeb Mehrabi[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Frederike Lund[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Philip Gath[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Markus Mieth[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Uta Merle[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Christian Rupp[SUP] 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33451759
- DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2020.11.009
Abstract
Background: In liver transplant (LT) recipients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), fatal outcome has been reported in a substantial subset of patients. Whether LT recipients are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 compared with the general population is controversial. Here we report the results of a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) serosurvey in a large LT recipient cohort.
Methods: A total of 219 LT recipients were enrolled between May 5, 2020, and August 6, 2020, at the University Hospital Heidelberg. Serum blood samples were collected and tested for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in nasopharyngeal swabs using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assays.
Results: Taking into account known risk factors of arterial hypertension, obesity, diabetes, or leukopenia, LT recipients a priori represented a high-risk cohort for severe COVID-19 with 101 of 219 (46.1%) presenting with more than 2 risk factors for severe COVID-19. Out of 219 LT recipients, 8 (3.7%) either had a positive test result for nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 RNA or anti-SARS-CoV-2 serum IgG. Five of eight (62.5%) did not show any clinical signs of infection, three of eight (37.5%) had self-limited disease, and none required hospitalization for COVID-19. Two of eight (25%) had known exposure to infected health care staff as the probable source of infection.
Conclusions: In summary, LT recipients showed a SARS-CoV-2 seroconversion rate similar to that of the general population with a substantial percentage of unrecognized infections.