Better outcome of COVID-19 positive kidney transplant recipients during the unremitting stage with optimized anticoagulation and immunosuppression.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 is an ongoing pandemic with high morbidity and mortality and with a reported high risk of severe disease in kidney transplant recipients (KTR). AIM: We aimed to report the largest number of COVID-19-positive cases in KTR in a single center and to discuss their demographics, management, and evolution. METHODS: We enrolled all the two thousand KTR followed up in our center in Kuwait and collected the data of all COVID-19-positive KTR (104) from the start of the outbreak till the end of July 2020 and have reported the clinical features, management details, and both patient and graft outcomes. RESULTS: Out of the one hundred and four cases reported, most of them were males aged 49.3 ± 14.7 years. Eighty-two of them needed hospitalization, of which thirty-one were managed in the intensive care unit (ICU). Main comorbidities among these patients were hypertension in 64.4%, diabetes in 51%, and ischemic heart disease in 20.2%. Management strategies included anticoagulation in 56.7%, withdrawal of antimetabolites in 54.8%, calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) withdrawal in 33.7%, the addition of antibiotics in 57.7%, Tocilizumab in 8.7%, and antivirals in 16.3%. During a follow-up of 30 days, the reported number of acute kidney injury (AKI) was 28.7%, respiratory failure requiring oxygen therapy 46.2%, and overall mortality rate was 10.6% with hospital mortality of 13.4% including an ICU mortality rate of 35.5%. CONCLUSION: Better outcome of COVID-19-positive KTR in our cohort during this unremitting stage could be due to the younger age of patients and early optimized management of anticoagulation, modification of immunosuppression, and prompt treatment of secondary bacterial infections. Mild cases can successfully be managed at home without any change in immunosuppression.

Impact of Donor Source on the Outcome of Live Donor Kidney Transplantation: A Single Center Experience.

BACKGROUND: Renal transplantation is the ideal method for management of end-stage renal disease. The use of living donors for renal transplantation was critical for early development in the field and preceded the use of cadaveric donors. Most donors are related genetically to the recipients, like a parent, a child, or a sibling of the recipient, but there are an increasing percentage of cases where donors are genetically unrelated like spouses, friends, or altruistic individuals. Donor shortages constitute the major barrier for kidney transplantation, and much effort has been made to increase the supply of living donors. The impact of donor source on the outcome of renal transplantation is not adequately studied in our country. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of donor source on the outcome of live donor kidney transplantation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From March 1976 to December 2013, the number of patients that underwent living renal transplantation sharing at least one HLA haplotype with their donors was 2,485. We divided these patients into two groups: (1) 2,075 kidney transplant recipients (1,554 or 74.9% male and 521 or 25.1% female) for whom the donors were living related, (2) 410 kidney transplant recipients (297 or 72.4% male and 113 or 27.6% female) for whom the donors were living unrelated. All patients received immunosuppressive therapy, consisting of a calcineurin inhibitor, mycophenolate mofetil, or azathioprine and prednisolone. We compared acute rejection and complication rates, as well as long-term graft and patient survival of both groups. Demographic characteristics were compared using the chi-square test. Graft survival and patient survival were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: The percentages of patients with acute vascular rejection were significantly higher in the unrelated group, while percentages of patients with no rejection were significantly higher in the related group, but there were no significant differences regarding patient and graft survivals between both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Kidney transplant recipients who received their grafts either from live related donors or live unrelated donors had comparable patient and graft survival outcomes.

Study of the risk factors and complications of diabetes mellitus after live kidney donation.

OBJECTIVES: Kidney donors, similar to the general population, are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The course of donors who develop T2DM has not been well studied. This work estimates the incidence of diabetes after kidney donation, and some risk factors and complications of diabetes mellitus postdonation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study examined the records of 2267 donors who donated one of their kidneys between 1976 and 2014 at the Urology and Nephrology Center, Mansoura University, Egypt, and who were regularly followed up at its outpatient clinic. A total of 388 donors were included in the study, and their medical records were revised. RESULTS: Postdonation weight gain and family history of diabetes mellitus were statistically significant for the development of diabetes mellitus, high or very high albuminuria, and/or decreased creatinine clearance. Metformin and insulin use seemed to significantly reduce the protein excretion and creatinine clearance decline in the studied group. CONCLUSIONS: There is a significant impact of a family history of diabetes mellitus on the development of high or very high albuminuria and/or decreased creatinine clearance.

Study of the risk factors and complications of diabetes mellitus after live kidney donation.

OBJECTIVES: Kidney donors, similar to the general population, are at risk for development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The course of donors who develop type 2 diabetes mellitus has not been well studied. This work is aimed at estimating the incidence of diabetes after kidney donation, and study some risk factors and some complications of diabetes mellitus after donation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The material of this record based work comprised the records 2267 donors who donated 1 of their kidneys between 1976 and 2014 in the Urology and Nephrology Center, Mansoura University, Egypt, and regularly followed-up at its outpatient clinic. There were 388 donors included in the study and their medical records were revised. RESULTS: Postdonation weight gain and family history of diabetes mellitus were statistically significant on both the development of diabetes mellitus, high, very high albuminuria, and/or decreased creatinine clearance. Metformin and insulin use seemed to significantly reduce the protein excretion, and creatinine clearance decline in the studied group. CONCLUSIONS: There is a significant effect of the family history of diabetes mellitus on the development of high, very high albuminuria, and/or decreased creatinine clearance.