Does the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection higher in liver
transplant recipients?: A single-center experience.
Background: Liver transplant (LT) recipients with COVID-19 have
been reported as a high-risk population for severe disease through the
COVID-19 pandemic. Studies have shown that liver transplantation did not
significantly increase the risk of death and severe disease in patients
with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Methods: From September 2020- March 2021, we collected data and
serum anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM +IgG results for 91 liver transplant
recipients. Study enrolment was performed when patients presented for
scheduled routine follow-up. All participants with serum anti-SARS-CoV-2
IgM+IgG completed a questionnaire querying information including
clinical symptoms in the last six months. We further collected 91
patients with anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM + IgG results. Seven patients had a
known history of symptomatic COVID-19 during the previous six months. Of
the 84 participants included in the study, 21 (25 %) had positive
anti-SARS-Cov-2 IgM + IgG results. In addition, we applied the COVID-19
PCR test to all 21 patients, and all of them were negative. Overall,
only seven patients declared flu-like upper respiratory tract infection
symptoms or diarrhea in detailed inquiry.
Conclusion: We documented past SARS-CoV-2 infection in 25 % of
our outpatient LT recipients, and the majority were asymptomatic. There
was no significant relationship between symptoms and seropositivity for
SARS-COV-2.
Key Words: Liver transplant recipients, SARS-CoV-2 infection,
serum anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM+IgG