Acute Kidney Injury and Urinary and Histopathological Disorders in Kidney Transplant Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Abstract

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a manifestation of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The evidence in kidney transplant (KT) is limited, as there are scarce data about the histologic features in graft biopsies of these patients. A retrospective cohort study of KTs with SARS-CoV-2 infection from August 28, 2020, to April 23, 2021. We collected the incidence of AKI and the presence of urinary and histopathological disorders. Both groups were compared (AKI vs no AKI). Immunohistochemical and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction studies were performed on the anatomopathological samples. In our study, 72 KTs had SARS-CoV-2 infection and, among them, 27 patients (35.1%) developed AKI related to increased severity and a worse evolution of the infection, defined by a greater presence of pneumonia (P AKI is a frequent and potentially serious complication in KT patients. Occasionally it could be accompanied by abnormalities in the urinary sediment. Of 5 biopsied patients, 1 patient had positive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in renal tissue, which suggests the systemic spread of the virus and the tropism for the renal graft.