Does the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection higher in liver transplant
recipients?: A single-center experience.
Abstract
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.