High mortality among kidney transplant recipients diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019: Results from the Brazilian multicenter cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Kidney transplant (KT) recipients are considered a high-risk group for unfavorable outcomes in the course of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). AIM: To describe the clinical aspects and outcomes of COVID-19 among KT recipients. METHODS: This multicenter cohort study enrolled 1,680 KT recipients diagnosed with COVID-19 between March and November 2020, from 35 Brazilian centers. The main outcome was the 90-day cumulative incidence of death, for the entire cohort and according to acute kidney injury (AKI) and renal replacement therapy (RRT) requirement. Fatality rates were analyzed according to hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and mechanical ventilation (MV) requirement. Multivariable analysis was performed by logistic regression for the probability of hospitalization and death. RESULTS: The median age of the recipients was 51.3 years, 60.4% were men and 11.4% were Afro-Brazilian. Comorbidities were reported in 1,489 (88.6%), and the interval between transplantation and infection was 5.9 years. The most frequent symptoms were cough (54%), myalgia (40%), dyspnea (37%), and diarrhea (31%), whereas the clinical signs were fever (61%) and hypoxemia (13%). Hospitalization was required in 65.1%, and immunosuppressive drugs adjustments were made in 74.4% of in-hospital patients. ICU admission was required in 34.6% and MV in 24.9%. In the multivariable modeling, the variables related with the probability of hospitalization were age, hypertension, previous cardiovascular disease, recent use of high dose of steroid, and fever, dyspnea, diarrhea, and nausea or vomiting as COVID-19 symptoms. On the other hand, the variables that reduced the probability of hospitalization were time of COVID-19 symptoms, and nasal congestion, headache, arthralgia and anosmia as COVID-19 symptoms. The overall 90-day cumulative incidence of death was 21.0%. The fatality rates were 31.6%, 58.2%, and 75.5% in those who were hospitalized, admitted to the ICU, and required MV, respectively. At the time of infection, 23.2% had AKI and 23.4% required RRT in the follow-up. The cumulative incidence of death was significantly higher among recipients with AKI (36.0% vs. 19.1%, P < 0.0001) and in those who required RRT (70.8% vs. 10.1%, P < 0.0001). The variables related with the probability of death within 90 days after COVID-19 were age, time after transplantation, presence of hypertension, previous cardiovascular disease, use of tacrolimus and mycophenolate, recent use of high dose of steroids, and dyspnea as COVID-19 symptom. On the other hand, the variables that reduced the risk of death were time of symptoms, and headache and anosmia as COVID-19 symptoms. CONCLUSION: The patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were long-term KT recipients and most of them had some comorbidities. One in every five patients died, and the rate of death was significantly higher in those with AKI, mainly when RRT was required.

Twin pregnancy after kidney transplantation: case report and systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Kidney transplantation is associated with fertility restoration in more than 50% of women with chronic kidney disease. Pregnancy after transplantation may affect women's health and fetal development, with higher rates of abortion, fetal growth restriction, and neonatal deaths. Twin pregnancy is a condition of high-risk for adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes, and its occurrence in women with previous kidney transplantation is rare. CASE: 32-year-old woman, recipient of living donor kidney transplantation, with a history of one pregnancy prior to transplantation, with current normal allograft function and no use of contraceptive method. At ten weeks of amenorrhea, ultrasound investigation showed a dichorionic diamniotic twin pregnancy. The following evaluation showed Chiari type II features in one fetus, and no detectable abnormality in the other one. There was appropriate blood pressure control with no need for an antihypertensive drug, and renal function remained normal without proteinuria. Calcium and a low dose of acetylsalicylic acid were used as preeclampsia prophylaxis. At 33 weeks of gestation, she presented premature rupture of membranes with spontaneous preterm labor. A cesarean section was performed due to the breech presentation of the first fetus. The patient persisted with normal graft function and without graft rejection during follow-up. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Twin pregnancies after kidney transplantation are rare, and it is most frequently associated with preterm birth. We reported a successful twin pregnancy after kidney transplantation, with good perinatal and maternal outcomes, and without graft rejection or dysfunction.

Renal transplant patients with preformed anti-HLA antibodies: early biopsy findings and clinical outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: Renal fibrosis is the end point of a process that begins at transplant, with ischemia reperfusion and early inflammation, and progresses over time with immunological and non-immunological phenomena. Early identification of morphological markers and intervention could improve graft function and survival. OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the correlation between intensity and specificity of pre-transplant anti-HLA antibodies and kidney allograft pathology in order to identify early risk factors or markers of allograft dysfunction. METHODS: A retrospective cohort of kidney transplant recipients with pre-transplant anti-HLA antibodies who underwent graft biopsy within the first two years post-transplant was divided into two groups according to the specificity of anti-HLA antibodies: nonspecific (non-DSA, n = 29) and specific (DSA+, n = 16). Kidney graft pathology, renal function, and proteinuria were analyzed. RESULTS: general characteristics were similar in both groups, except for the higher dose of thymoglobulin in DSA+ group (p < 0.05). The non-DSA group had higher scores for glomerulosclerosis, interstitial inflammation (i) and interstitial fibrosis (ci) (p < 0.05) and higher incidence of cell-mediated acute rejection. No statistical difference in incidence of antibody-mediated rejection, renal function, and proteinuria was observed during follow up. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: the difference in inflammation scores and interstitial fibrosis may be associated to the higher incidence of acute cell-mediated rejection and polyomavirus nephropathy in the Non-DSA group. We also should take into account the protective effect of higher doses of thymoglobulin, reducing ischemia reperfusion injury in the DSA+ group. The short follow-up might have been insufficient to detect long-term changes in allograft tissue, renal function, and proteinuria.

Pregnancy Among Women with Kidney Transplantation: A 20-Years Single-Center Registry.

OBJECTIVE: To assess maternal and perinatal outcomes in pregnancies after kidney transplantation in a tertiary center in Brazil. METHODS: Retrospective cohort of pregnancies in women with kidney transplantation at the Universidade Estadual de Campinas, from January 1995 until December 2017. Medical charts were reviewed, and maternal and perinatal outcomes were described as means and frequencies. Renal function and blood pressure were evaluated during pregnancy and postpartum. RESULTS: A total of 22 women had at least 1 pregnancy during the considered time interval, and 3 of them had > 1 pregnancy, totalizing 25 pregnancies. The mean age at transplantation was of 24.6 ± 4.2 years old, and the mean time interval until pregnancy was of 67.8 ± 46.3 months. The most frequent complication during pregnancy was hypertension, which affected 11 (64.7%) women. The gestational age at delivery was 34.7 ± 4 weeks, and 47% of these pregnancies were preterm (< 37 weeks). A total of 88.2% of the women delivered by cesarean section. Renal function, measured by serum creatinine, remained stable during pregnancy, and the systolic blood pressure increased significantly, while the diastolic blood pressure did not differ during pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Pregnancy after kidney transplantation is a rare event. Pre-eclampsia and prematurity were frequent complications, and cesarean section rates were very high. A specialized antenatal and postpartum care with a multiprofessional approach and continuous monitoring of graft function are essential for the early diagnosis of complications and improved outcomes.

OBJETIVO: Avaliar os resultados maternos e perinatais de gestações em mulheres transplantadas renais em um centro terciário no Brasil. MéTODOS: Coorte retrospectiva de gestações entre mulheres transplantadas renais na Universidade Estadual de Campinas, de Janeiro de 1995 a Dezembro de 2017. Os prontuários médicos foram revisados, e os resultados maternos e perinatais foram descritos como médias e frequências. A função renal e a pressão arterial foram avaliadas durante a gravidez e o puerpério. RESULTADOS: Um total de 22 mulheres tiveram ao menos 1 gravidez durante o período avaliado, e 3 delas tiveram > 1 gestação, totalizado 25 gestações. A idade média no momento do transplante foi 24.6 ± 4.2 anos, e o tempo médio de intervalo até a gravidez foi de 67.8 ± 46.3 meses. A complicação mais frequente durante a gravidez foi a hipertensão, que acometeu 11 (64.7%) mulheres. A idade gestacional no parto foi de 34.7 ± 4 semanas, e 47% das gestações encerraram-se prematuramente (< 37 semanas). Um total de 88.2% das gestações terminou com uma cesárea. A função renal, avaliada pela creatinina sérica, permaneceu estável durante a gravidez, enquanto a pressão arterial sistólica aumentou significativamente. A pressão arterial diastólica não diferiu ao longo dos períodos avaliados. CONCLUSãO: Gestação após o transplante renal é um evento raro. Pré-eclâmpsia e prematuridade foram as complicações mais frequentes, e as taxas de cesárea foram muito altas. O cuidado multiprofissional no pré-natal e no puerpério e a constante monitoração da função do enxerto são fundamentais para diagnosticar precocemente complicações e melhorar os resultados.