Clinical characteristics of infection-induced central nervous system complications in renal transplant recipients / 中华器官移植杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To summarize the clinical characteristics of central nerve system (CNS) infection and grasp the necessity and possibility of early diagnosis and precise intervention of CNS infection after renal transplantation.Methods:This retrospective study enrolled consecutive recipients of renal transplantation with CNS infection after transplant between January 2000 and December 2020. Correlative factors for CNS infection after renal transplant were determined by comparing the clinical data between recipients with and without CNS infection. After screening 3, 199 consecutive renal transplant recipients, 12 patients with CNS infection post-transplant were identified and recruited. The median age-of-onset was 48.5 (23-65) years. And the median time to disease onset after transplant was 50.5(1-204) months. The most common symptoms of CNS infection after renal transplant included fever (75.00%), consciousness disorder (58.33%), headache (58.33%) and neck rigidity (41.67%).Results:Hepatitis B virus carrier and pulmonary infection were correlated with CNS infection after transplantation ( P<0.05). Nine patients failed to identify the pathogen and only received empirical anti-infective regimen. The outcomes were curing ( n=3) and death ( n=6). Metagenomic sequencing was performed for identifying the pathogen in three recipients and actively adjusting the anti-infective regimen. As a result, 2 were cured and 1 died. The overall mortality was 58.33%. The median time to death or curing from disease onset were 20(2-19) and 25(16-35) days respectively in surviving and non-surviving recipients. Conclusions:The progress of CNS infection after transplantation is rapid with a high mortality. HBV carrier and pulmonary infection are possible risk factors of CNS infection after renal transplantation. Early pathogenic identification and precise etiological intervention are vital for better clinical outcomes.