Burden and Timeline of Infectious Diseases in the First Year After Solid Organ Transplantation in the Swiss Transplant Cohort Study.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The burden and timeline of posttransplant infections are not comprehensively documented in the current era of immunosuppression and prophylaxis.

METHODS:

In this prospective study nested within the Swiss Transplant Cohort Study (STCS), all clinically relevant infections were identified by transplant-infectious diseases physicians in persons receiving solid organ transplant (SOT) between May 2008 and December 2014 with ≥12 months of follow-up.

RESULTS:

Among 3541 SOT recipients, 2761 (1612 kidney, 577 liver, 286 lung, 213 heart, and 73 kidney-pancreas) had ≥12 months of follow-up; 1520 patients (55%) suffered 3520 infections during the first year posttransplantation. Burden and timelines of clinically relevant infections differed between transplantations. Bacteria were responsible for 2202 infections (63%) prevailing throughout the year, with a predominance of Enterobacteriaceae (54%) as urinary pathogens in heart, lung, and kidney transplant recipients, and as digestive tract pathogens in liver transplant recipients. Enterococcus spp (20%) occurred as urinary tract pathogens in kidney transplant recipients and as digestive tract pathogens in liver transplant recipients, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9%) in lung transplant recipients. Among 1039 viral infections, herpesviruses predominated (51%) in kidney, liver, and heart transplant recipients. Among 263 fungal infections, Candida spp (60%) prevailed as digestive tract pathogens in liver transplant recipients. Opportunistic pathogens, including Aspergillus fumigatus (1.4%) and cytomegalovirus (6%), were rare, scattering over 12 months across all SOT recipients.

CONCLUSIONS:

In the current era of immunosuppression and prophylaxis, SOT recipients experience a high burden of infections throughout the first year posttransplantation, with rare opportunistic pathogens and a predominance of bacteria.

• Authors: Christian van Delden, Susanne Stampf, Hans H Hirsch, Oriol Manuel, Pascal Meylan, Alexia Cusini, Cédric Hirzel, Nina Khanna, Maja Weisser, Christian Garzoni, Katja Boggian, Christoph Berger, David Nadal, Michael Koller, Ramon Saccilotto, Nicolas J Mueller, Swiss Transplant Cohort Study
• Journal: Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (Clin Infect Dis) Vol. 71 Issue 7 Pg. e159-e169 (10 23 2020) ISSN: 1537-6591 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 31915816 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Topics

• Cohort Studies
• Communicable Diseases (epidemiology)
• Humans
• Organ Transplantation (adverse effects)
• Prospective Studies
• Switzerland (epidemiology)
• Transplant Recipients