The study published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology demonstrated that despite lowering the patients′ immunosuppressive regimes acute rejection rates among kidney transplant recipients who had COVID-19 were low.

The investigation included 64 kidney transplant recipients who had been infected with SARS-CoV-2. 31 individuals suffered from acute infection which lasted less than 4 weeks and the remaining 33 patients had been infected for longer than 4 weeks.

Significant downregulation of immune activation markers mediated by T cells that were seen in kidney transplant recipients with COVID-19 was associated with disease severity. No association was found between concurrent mRNA expression in blood transcriptomes and matching protein levels for interleukin-6, despite cytokine dysregulation during acute illness.

In fact, despite a decrease in immunosuppressive regimens, the overexpression of neutrophils and innate immune pathways and the downregulation of T-cell and adaptive immune activation pathways were independent of lymphocyte numbers.

The researchers concluded that the data may partially support the empirical practice of decreasing transplant-specific T-cell-directed immunosuppressive (IS) drugs during severe COVID-19 in kidney transplant recipients for overall management. (Medscape - Sep 01, 2022.)