Outcomes of Norovirus diarrheal infections and Clostridioides difficile infections in kidney transplant recipients: A single-center retrospective study.

Recently, Norovirus has been recognized as an important cause of diarrheal infection in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). We assessed the risk factors and outcomes of Norovirus diarrheal infections (NVDI) and Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) on graft and patient survival following kidney transplant (KT). We examined KTRs transplanted at our center between 1994 and 2014, and compared those who suffered from NVDI and CDI with patients who did not develop either infection. Each patient with NVDI or CDI was matched with five controls based on time from transplant. Of the 4941 KTs performed during the study period, there were 2112 evaluable cases: 66 NVDI cases, 286 CDI cases, and 1760 controls. Median uncensored graft survival following infection was 497.5 days for the NVDI group, 440 days for the CDI group, and 1271 days for controls. Those with CDI had significantly inferior graft survival than controls (HR 2.41; CI 2.01, 2.90; P < 0.001), and those with NVDI had a 23% lower risk of graft survival than controls (HR 1.23; CI 1.0, 1.52; P = 0.054). Diarrheal infection after KT is associated with reduced long-term graft survival.

Outcomes of malignant melanoma in kidney transplant recipients
.

Kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) have an increased risk of skin cancer. We analyzed the outcomes of KTRs transplanted at our center between January 1, 1994, and December 31, 2015, who reported pretransplant melanoma or had post-transplant de novo melanoma. Of 6,522 kidney or kidney with pancreas transplant recipients, 37 had pretransplant melanoma. After adjustment of multiple variables, pretransplant melanoma was associated with overall increased risk of death (HR: 1.75, 95% CI 1.02 - 3.03, p = 0.04) but not for death-censored graft failure (DCGF). A total of 46 patients developed post-transplant de novo melanoma. After adjustment of multiple variables, post-transplant de novo melanoma was associated with significant risk for death within the first year of the diagnosis of melanoma (HR: 4.40, 95% CI 2.21 - 8.74, p < 0.001), and DCGF after the first year (HR: 1.93, 95% CI 1.13 - 3.64, p = 0.04). Similarly, among all pretransplant candidates (including those with history of melanoma) in Cox regression multivariate analysis, older age (HR: 1.32, 95% CI 0.31 - 1.14, p = 0.04) and a history of pretransplant melanoma (HR: 9.27, 95% CI 2.81 - 30.53, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with the risk for development of post-transplant melanoma. Proper risk stratification and early diagnosis may improve patient and graft survival.