The High Incidence of Long-COVID-19 in Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Longitudinal Cohort Study
V. Lafico Teixeira Gomes, P. Quintino, H. Tedesco, J. Medina, C. Eduardo Neves Amorim, M. Cristelli
Hospital do Rim, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Meeting: 2022 American Transplant Congress
Abstract number: 248
Keywords: COVID-19, Kidney transplantation
Topic: Clinical Science » Infection Disease » 25 - Kidney Infectious Non-Polyoma & Non-Viral Hepatitis
Session Information
Session Name: COVID-19 Infections Part 2: All Organs
Session Type: Rapid Fire Oral Abstract
Date: Monday, June 6, 2022
Session Time: 3:30pm-5:00pm
Presentation Time: 4:20pm-4:30pm
Location: Hynes Ballroom B
*Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the clinical consequences at 3 months after symptom onset among kidney transplant recipients surviving COVID-19.
*Methods: This is an ongoing single-center observational prospective study including adult kidney transplant recipients who were diagnosed and survived after COVID-19 between 03/20/2020 and 05/31/2021. Patients who lost their graft were excluded. The patients are scheduled to receive a telephone contact at 3 months after symptom onset from the clinical research team. The call consisted of a structured questionnaire of symptoms with binary answers (yes or no). The questionnaire included the following symptoms: headache, dizziness, anosmia/ageusia, weakness, myalgia, inappetence, diarrhea, and dyspnea, which could be presented before and/or after the COVID-19 diagnosis. Those patients with at least one symptom presented only after the disease, were defined as having Long-COVID-19. Subsequently, the clinical research team included a question about the work status. Adjusted multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify the risk factors associated with Long-COVID-19.
*Results: There were 1,731 patients with COVID-19, with 455 deaths and 36 graft losses. Of the remaining 1,240 patients, 454 (36%) didn’t answer our calls, yielding a final cohort of 786 patients. Of them, 217 (28%) developed Long-COVID-19. The incidence of each symptom at 3 months was: dyspnea (7%), myalgia (12%), weakness (11%), headache (10%), dizziness (7%), diarrhea (4%), inappetence (4%) and anosmia/ageusia (3%). About 1% of our patients needed domiciliary O2. Of those who we obtained the working status (n=239), 95 (40%) were employed before COVID-19 and 79 of them (83%) had returned to their original work at 3 months. After COVID-19 diagnosis, 44% of the patients were hospitalized (31% in ICU), 35% used supplemental O2, and 5% required mechanical ventilation. Fever (53%), shiver (39%), nausea (3%), anosmia/ageusia (59%), hospitalization (67%), and adverse cardiovascular events (3%), such as thrombosis or myocardial infarction, were risk factors associated with subsequent development of Long-COVID-19, using adjusted multivariable logistic regression.
*Conclusions: The incidence of Long-COVID-19 at 3 months was 28% and was associated with reduced quality of life and return to work. Several COVID-19 associated symptoms and disease severity markers were associated with Long-COVID-19.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Gomes VLaficoTeixeira, Quintino P, Tedesco H, Medina J, Amorim CEduardoNeves, Cristelli M. The High Incidence of Long-COVID-19 in Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Longitudinal Cohort Study [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2022; 22 (suppl 3). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/the-high-incidence-of-long-covid-19-in-kidney-transplant-recipients-a-longitudinal-cohort-study/. Accessed January 18, 2025.« Back to 2022 American Transplant Congress