COVID-19 in an international European liver transplant recipient cohort

Chiara Becchetti, Marco Fabrizio Zambelli, Luisa Pasulo, Maria Francesca Donato, Federica Invernizzi, Olivier Detry, Géraldine Dahlqvist, Olga Ciccarelli, Maria Cristina Morelli, Montserrat Fraga, Gianluca Svegliati-Baroni, Hans van Vlierberghe, Minneke J. Coenraad, Mario Cristobal Romero, Andrea de Gottardi, Pierluigi Toniutto, Luca Del Prete, Claudia Abbati, Didier Samuel, Jacques PirenneFrederik Nevens, Jean François Dufour, Michele Colledan, Stefano Fagiuoli, Stefania Camagni, Jean Delwaide, Giovanni Vitale, Darius Moradpour, Manuel Pascual, Gloria Allegrini, Fabio Tarsetti, Ugo Giustizieri, Loredana Rota, Florent Artru, Anne Catherine Saouli, Patrizia Burra, Martina Gambato, Irene Scalera, Ioannis Petridis, Hugo Pinto Marques, Martin Walter Welker

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

122 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objective Knowledge on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in liver transplant recipients is lacking, particularly in terms of severity of the disease. The aim of this study was to describe the demographic, baseline clinical characteristics and early outcomes of a European cohort of liver transplant recipients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Design We conducted an international prospective study across Europe on liver transplant recipients with SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by microbiological assay during the first outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. Baseline characteristics, clinical presentation, management of immunosuppressive therapy and outcomes were collected. Results 57 patients were included (70% male, median (IQR) age at diagnosis 65 (57-70) years). 21 (37%), 32 (56%) and 21 (37%) patients had one cardiovascular disease, arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus, respectively. The most common symptoms were fever (79%), cough (55%), dyspnoea (46%), fatigue or myalgia (56%) and GI symptoms (33%). Immunosuppression was reduced in 22 recipients (37%) and discontinued in 4 (7%). With this regard, no impact on outcome was observed. Forty-one (72%) subjects were hospitalised and 11 (19%) developed acute respiratory distress syndrome. Overall, we estimated a case fatality rate of 12% (95% CI 5% to 24%), which increased to 17% (95% CI 7% to 32%) among hospitalised patients. Five out of the seven patients who died had a history of cancer. Conclusion In this European multicentre prospective study of liver transplant recipients, COVID-19 was associated with an overall and in-hospital fatality rate of 12% (95% CI 5% to 24%) and 17% (95% CI 7% to 32%), respectively. A history of cancer was more frequent in patients with poorer outcome.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1832-1840
Number of pages9
JournalGut
Volume69
Issue number10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Oct 2020

Keywords

  • chronic liver disease
  • infectious disease
  • orthotopic liver transplantation

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