Abstract
Few reports described the outcome of kidney transplanted patients (KTs) affected by COVID-19 treated with interleukin-6 receptor inhibitor tocilizumab (TCZ). We report our case series of 6 KTs with COVID-19 pneumonia who received TCZ: All were of male gender, with a mean age of 55.5 ± 8.4 years, a median time from transplantation of 3611 days (1465-5757); 5/6 had cardiovascular comorbidities, 1/6 had diabetes, and 3/6 have one or more previous KTs. Four out of six patients died, at an average time of 9.75 ± 2.4 days after tocilizumab administration, 3/6 due to a coexistent septic shock. Two patients improved after TCZ and were discharged at 20 and 21 days, respectively; in both patient, a significant increase of total lymphocyte count was observed. In conclusion, KTs, where the role of peculiar factors such as chronic immunosuppression is still undetermined, represent a high-risk group with significant COVID-19-associated mortality. The evaluation of the TCZ effect in COVID-19 pneumonia requires controlled studies (ideally RCTs) in this specific population.
Keywords: COVID-19; Tocilizumab; kidney transplant.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, Tocilizumab, kidney transplant, 【초록키워드】 COVID-19 pneumonia, Mortality, Tocilizumab, Pneumonia, interleukin-6, Immunosuppression, Gender, diabetes, outcome, kidney, Lymphocyte count, lymphocyte, interleukin, male, Patient, Septic shock, age, inhibitor, kidney transplant, interleukin-6 receptor, RCTs, transplantation, cardiovascular comorbidities, Factor, median time, significant increase, two patients, average, tocilizumab administration, Undetermined, described, affected, case sery, treated, Two patient, discharged, coexistent, patients died, TCZ, with COVID-19, 【제목키워드】 COVID-19 pneumonia, Tocilizumab, Pneumonia, kidney, treated, patients with COVID-19,