Rebecca H Burns, Sara Booth, Christin Rogers Marks, Christine M Durand, Jonathan Hand, Maheen Z Abidi, Maricar Malinis, Brittany Barnaba, Martha Pavlakis, Douglas Krakower, Carolyn D Alonso, Audrey Le-Mahajan
{"title":"The Association of Pretransplant CD4 Count With Post-Kidney Transplant Infectious Outcomes Among Persons With HIV.","authors":"Rebecca H Burns, Sara Booth, Christin Rogers Marks, Christine M Durand, Jonathan Hand, Maheen Z Abidi, Maricar Malinis, Brittany Barnaba, Martha Pavlakis, Douglas Krakower, Carolyn D Alonso, Audrey Le-Mahajan","doi":"10.1111/tid.70290","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/tid.70290","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Few studies have examined pretransplant CD4 count and risk of post-kidney transplant (KT) infection in persons with HIV (PWH).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This multi-center, retrospective cohort study included adult PWH undergoing KT from 2004 to 2019. The primary outcome was infection in the first year post-KT in PWH with pretransplant CD4 < 350 cells/µL versus CD4 ≥ 350 cells/µL. Relative risk was assessed using modified Poisson modeling. Restricted mean survival time analysis was used to assess 5-year posttransplant outcomes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 75 patients included, 27% had a pretransplant CD4 < 350 cells/µL. Those with CD4 < 350 versus CD4 ≥ 350 were more likely to be hospitalized for infection in the first year (55% versus 16%, p = 0.001). There were no significant differences in relative risk of infection in the first-year posttransplant (RR: 1.31, p = 0.053), 5-year overall survival (87.5% vs. 93%, p = 0.49) or 5-year graft loss (29.4% vs. 23.1%, p = 0.61) between groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings suggest that pretransplant CD4 count alone may not reflect the true risk of post-KT infection in PWH.</p>","PeriodicalId":23318,"journal":{"name":"Transplant Infectious Disease","volume":" ","pages":"e70290"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148761188","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Leah Georgiades, Sunish Shah, Erin K McCreary, Fernanda Silveira, Raman Venkataramanan, Vignesh Vasudevan, Ryan M Rivosecchi
{"title":"Impact of Letermovir on Voriconazole Concentrations in Lung Transplant Patients.","authors":"Leah Georgiades, Sunish Shah, Erin K McCreary, Fernanda Silveira, Raman Venkataramanan, Vignesh Vasudevan, Ryan M Rivosecchi","doi":"10.1111/tid.70307","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/tid.70307","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The use of letermovir for cytomegalovirus prophylaxis in lung transplant recipients is increasing. Letermovir may reduce voriconazole exposure through induction of CYP-mediated metabolism. This study compared voriconazole concentrations in lung transplant recipients with and without concomitant letermovir exposure.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This single-center retrospective study evaluated lung transplant recipients on prophylactic voriconazole, stratified by letermovir use. Exclusion criteria included non-steady state concentrations, concomitant interacting medications, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The primary outcome was achievement of first voriconazole concentrations meeting lower and higher target thresholds (≥ 0.5 and ≥ 1 mcg/mL). Secondary outcomes included concentration-to-dose (mg/kg/day) ratio and median first concentration (mcg/mL).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Twenty-four patients receiving voriconazole alone contributed 46 concentrations, while 14 patients receiving concomitant letermovir contributed 30 concentrations. Fewer patients in the concomitant group achieved first voriconazole concentrations ≥ 0.5 mcg/mL (23.3% vs. 34.8%, p = 0.29) and ≥ 1 mcg/mL (3.3% vs. 21.7%, p = 0.042). The concentration-to-dose ratio (0.174 vs. 0.266 L/kg, p = 0.16) and median first concentration (0.52 vs. 0.72 mcg/mL, p = 0.19) were also lower with concomitant therapy. One definite breakthrough fungal infection occurred in the concomitant group (3.3%) compared with two probable infections in the voriconazole-only group (4.3%). Breakthrough CMV viremia occurred in 14.3% and 16.7% of patients, respectively.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This is the first study evaluating the impact of concomitant letermovir on voriconazole exposure during the early posttransplant period in lung transplant recipients. Concomitant letermovir was associated with reduced attainment of target voriconazole concentrations, supporting routine therapeutic drug monitoring and consideration of empiric voriconazole dose escalation when these agents are co-administered.</p>","PeriodicalId":23318,"journal":{"name":"Transplant Infectious Disease","volume":" ","pages":"e70307"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148760060","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sanya J Thomas, Natalia E Castillo Almeida, Claire Bocchini, Caitlin Brammer, Guy Brock, Abigail Calimaran, Ronald Dallas, Kevin J Downes, Jose A Ferrolino, Md Rejuan Haque, Anna R Huppler, Ishminder Kaur, Madan Kumar, Meghan Landry, Stacee Lerret, Gabriela M Maron, Timothy D Minniear, William J Muller, Flor M Munoz, William R Otto, Kerrigan Perkins, Elizabeth H Ristagno, Anna Sharova, Katherine Siegel, Eunkyung Song, Marion Jose Valladares, Natasha A Wilson, Allison Yoshida, Masako Shimamura
{"title":"Risk Factors for Coronavirus Disease 2019 Hospitalization and Vaccination Impact Among Pediatric Solid Organ Transplant Recipients in the United States.","authors":"Sanya J Thomas, Natalia E Castillo Almeida, Claire Bocchini, Caitlin Brammer, Guy Brock, Abigail Calimaran, Ronald Dallas, Kevin J Downes, Jose A Ferrolino, Md Rejuan Haque, Anna R Huppler, Ishminder Kaur, Madan Kumar, Meghan Landry, Stacee Lerret, Gabriela M Maron, Timothy D Minniear, William J Muller, Flor M Munoz, William R Otto, Kerrigan Perkins, Elizabeth H Ristagno, Anna Sharova, Katherine Siegel, Eunkyung Song, Marion Jose Valladares, Natasha A Wilson, Allison Yoshida, Masako Shimamura","doi":"10.1111/tid.70303","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/tid.70303","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>While vaccination is a key strategy to mitigate the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children, the risk factors for symptomatic, medically attended (hereon referred to as \"symptomatic\") COVID-19 and the impact of vaccination are not well defined among pediatric solid organ transplant recipients (PSOTR).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>PSOTR aged six months through 21 years at 11 centers in the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Transplant Network (PIDTRAN) were analyzed retrospectively for symptomatic COVID-19 between July 2021 and May 2023. Using a Cox proportional hazards model, risk factors associated with COVID-19-associated hospitalization, in-hospital oxygen use, mechanical ventilation, and the impact of COVID-19 vaccination were analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 1370 PSOTR, 410 (29%) had symptomatic COVID-19 infection. Among those with symptomatic infection, 115 (28%) were hospitalized, 35 required in-hospital oxygen, and three required mechanical ventilation. In the study, 45% were unvaccinated against COVID-19. Compared to unvaccinated PSOTR, incompletely vaccinated PSOTR had 56% lower hazard (95% CI 0.26, 0.72, p = 0.001) of COVID-19-associated hospitalization whereas completely vaccinated did not have a statistically significant difference in hazard of hospitalization. Receipt of at least one dose of the bivalent vaccine was also associated with 92.5% lower hazard (95% CI 0.010, 0.55, p = 0.011) of hospitalization. Risk factors for hospitalization included chronic kidney disease, underlying heart disease, neurodevelopmental delay, and lymphocytopenia.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Most PSOTR with symptomatic COVID-19 did not require hospitalization or respiratory support. Several comorbidities and lymphocytopenia are associated with severe COVID-19 in PSOTR. COVID-19 vaccination, mostly, protected PSOTR against COVID-19-associated hospitalization, but vaccine uptake among PSOTR was low.</p>","PeriodicalId":23318,"journal":{"name":"Transplant Infectious Disease","volume":" ","pages":"e70303"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148761760","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kyle M Crawford, Jillian Catalano, Dhriti Shah, Scott Curry, Alexandra G Mills, Yosra Alkabab, Drew Charles, Courtney E Harris, Ruth O Adekunle
{"title":"Attrition and Delays in Kidney Transplant Evaluation Among People Living With HIV and End-Stage Renal Disease.","authors":"Kyle M Crawford, Jillian Catalano, Dhriti Shah, Scott Curry, Alexandra G Mills, Yosra Alkabab, Drew Charles, Courtney E Harris, Ruth O Adekunle","doi":"10.1111/tid.70304","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/tid.70304","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>People living with HIV (PLWH) have a higher incidence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) than HIV-negative individuals and are less likely to receive a kidney transplant. We described attrition and delays across the transplant care continuum for PLWH with ESRD at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and explored factors associated with waitlisting.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Retrospective review of electronic health records of PLWH with ESRD who received care at MUSC or were referred for kidney transplantation between May 1, 2012 and December 31, 2023. Progression through the transplant continuum (referral, evaluation initiation, evaluation completion, waitlisting, and transplantation) was quantified. Multivariable time-to-event analyses was performed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 234 PLWH with ESRD, transplant referral occurred in 190 (80%), of whom 135 (71%) initiated evaluation, 75 (39%) completed evaluation, 62 (32%) were waitlisted, and 44 (23%) received a transplant. Among evaluation non-completers, outstanding testing (42%) and excessive comorbidities (15%) were the most common reasons. Median time from dialysis to referral was 510 days (IQR 139-1665), and median time from evaluation to waitlisting was 306 days (IQR 186-520). In multivariable Cox regression, peritoneal dialysis was associated with shorter time to waitlisting (HR 2.60; 95% CI 1.17-5.75; p = 0.02) and Black race trended towards longer time to waitlisting (HR 0.30; 95% CI 0.08-1.11; p = 0.07).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Although PLWH with ESRD at MUSC progressed through the transplant continuum, substantial delays were observed. Interventions to reduce structural and logistical barriers and streamline evaluation steps may improve timely access to kidney transplantation.</p>","PeriodicalId":23318,"journal":{"name":"Transplant Infectious Disease","volume":" ","pages":"e70304"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148765858","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elisa Ruiz-Arabi, Madeleine R Heldman, Laurie D Snyder, Oriol Manuel, Eleftheria Kampouri
{"title":"Cytomegalovirus-Cell-Mediated Immunity Assays for the Prevention and Management of Cytomegalovirus in Transplant Recipients and Patients Receiving Cellular Therapies.","authors":"Elisa Ruiz-Arabi, Madeleine R Heldman, Laurie D Snyder, Oriol Manuel, Eleftheria Kampouri","doi":"10.1111/tid.70298","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/tid.70298","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>CMV cell-mediated immunity (CMV-CMI) testing has emerged as a promising tool to refine CMV risk stratification and inform prevention strategies in transplant recipients, while recent data assess its role in novel cellular therapies. By identifying patients with robust CMV-specific immune responses, these assays can reduce unnecessary antiviral exposure and support individualized decisions on prophylaxis and preemptive therapy. The strongest evidence comes from the solid organ transplant (SOT) setting, where immune-guided strategies can safely shorten prophylaxis duration, particularly in kidney and lung transplantation. In allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients, CMV-CMI could also guide prophylaxis discontinuation and post-prophylaxis surveillance, although data remain more limited and its added value beyond established clinical markers unclear. In chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-cell therapy recipients, CMV-CMI reaches a nadir at Week 2 post-infusion and recovers by Week 4, defining a window of increased vulnerability during which most CMV reactivation occurs. Assessment at this timepoint may help identify high-risk patients; however, the clinical impact of CMV reactivation, and as a result the need for preventive strategies, remain unclear in this setting. Importantly, the major strength of CMV-CMI lies in its consistently high negative predictive value of robust T-cell responses, while its ability to pinpoint highest-risk patients remains limited. Its widespread use is hindered by assay discordance, limited geographic access, and unproven cost-effectiveness. Despite these limitations, CMV-CMI remains the best-studied strategy for individualized CMV management; further standardization and prospective validation are needed to define its role in increasingly complex immunocompromised populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":23318,"journal":{"name":"Transplant Infectious Disease","volume":" ","pages":"e70298"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148762441","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alan Koff, Niyati Narsana, Cheng Len Sy, Sana Shaikh
{"title":"Sapovirus Infection in Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Case Series Demonstrating the Burden of an Enteric Viral Pathogen.","authors":"Alan Koff, Niyati Narsana, Cheng Len Sy, Sana Shaikh","doi":"10.1111/tid.70302","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/tid.70302","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Sapovirus is a calicivirus, which commonly causes acute gastroenteritis. However, in immunocompromised patients, chronic infection with diarrhea and failure to thrive has been reported. Due to sapovirus emerging as an infection of concern in our kidney transplant recipients (KTRs), we sought to describe the burden of sapovirus infection in this population.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We evaluated adult KTRs with sapovirus diagnosed by stool gastrointestinal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) at our institution. Data were collected retrospectively, and included demographics, symptom burden, treatment course, and patient outcomes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Nine patients met inclusion criteria. The median age was 48 years old. Symptom burden was high, with a median of six patient-reported symptoms per case. Median time from symptom onset to diagnosis was 30 days. All patients reported experiencing diarrhea, and most patients reported dehydration, fatigue, and nausea. Six patients experienced weight loss relative to baseline, and four patients experienced acute kidney injury. Two patients newly required dialysis during the follow-up period, one of these due to an episode of graft rejection with subsequent graft loss. Immunosuppression was reduced in seven cases, and nitazoxanide administered in three patients. Median time from symptom onset to symptom resolution was 45 days, however several patients had very prolonged courses, including symptom duration for over a year.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Sapovirus is an emerging pathogen in KTRs and was associated with significant symptom burden and morbidity, including failure to thrive, acute kidney injury, and need for dialysis. Delays in diagnosis and limited treatment options remain barriers to improving outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":23318,"journal":{"name":"Transplant Infectious Disease","volume":" ","pages":"e70302"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148758862","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Chia-Yu Chiu, Rocio Lopez, Trevor Nydam, Jesse D Schold
{"title":"Prevalence and Hospitalization Burden of Cytomegalovirus Infection in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients in the United States.","authors":"Chia-Yu Chiu, Rocio Lopez, Trevor Nydam, Jesse D Schold","doi":"10.1111/tid.70306","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/tid.70306","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is associated with substantial morbidity among solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs). However, data on the burden of CMV-associated hospitalization is limited.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We used data from Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients and National Readmissions Database, which include hospitalization information for SOTR across the United States, collected between 2016 and 2022. We estimate prevalence of CMV infection among adult SOTR, using two reference populations: (a) all living SOTR, and (b) SOTR with at least one hospitalization. We also describe hospitalization burden among SOTR with versus without CMV infection.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Between 2016 and 2022, an estimated total of 950 420 hospitalized adult SOTR were identified. The average prevalence of hospitalized CMV infection was 144 per 10 000 living SOTR. The average prevalence of CMV infection among hospitalized SOTR was 385 per 10 000 hospitalized recipients. Both were the highest among lung recipients (583 and 993, respectively). Within a 30-day follow-up window, recipients with CMV infection had 48% higher hospital days (mean: 14.6 vs. 7.6 days) and 67% higher hospitalization cost (mean: $56 146.6 vs. $27 563.3) than those without CMV infection. These findings were consistently higher across all CMV disease types. There were no significant changes in hospital days or costs over time among recipients with CMV infection.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>CMV infection was associated with a consistently high hospitalization burden among SOTR, across all transplant types and CMV disease throughout the study period. Optimizing CMV management strategies is essential to reducing the economic burden in this population.</p>","PeriodicalId":23318,"journal":{"name":"Transplant Infectious Disease","volume":" ","pages":"e70306"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148761570","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kyungsup Kwon, So Yun Lim, Euijin Chang, Seongman Bae, Hyunwook Kwon, Jiwon Jung, Min Jae Kim, Sung Shin, Yong Pil Chong, Young Hoon Kim, Sang-Ho Choi, Sang-Oh Lee, Sung-Han Kim
{"title":"Clinical Effectiveness of the Recombinant Zoster Vaccine for Preventing Herpes Zoster in Individuals With Kidney Transplants: A Retrospective Cohort Study.","authors":"Kyungsup Kwon, So Yun Lim, Euijin Chang, Seongman Bae, Hyunwook Kwon, Jiwon Jung, Min Jae Kim, Sung Shin, Yong Pil Chong, Young Hoon Kim, Sang-Ho Choi, Sang-Oh Lee, Sung-Han Kim","doi":"10.1111/tid.70300","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/tid.70300","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>People who have received kidney transplants (KTs) are at increased risk for herpes zoster (HZ). The recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) is recommended for immunocompromised individuals based on immunogenicity data, including studies in solid organ transplant populations. However, evidence on its real-world effectiveness in transplant recipients remains limited. In South Korea, RZV became available in March 2023, providing an opportunity to assess the association between RZV vaccination and incident HZ among individuals who received KT in a retrospective cohort study.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We included all adults (≥ 18 years) who underwent KT at a single 2700-bed tertiary center in Seoul, South Korea, from January 2020 through December 2024. Vaccination status was treated as a time-varying exposure. Incidence rates and adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) were estimated using time-dependent Cox regression.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 1761 adults who received KT, 388 individuals received the RZV, while 1373 remained unvaccinated. During follow-up, HZ occurred in 78 unvaccinated individuals (5.7%), while no cases occurred in the vaccinated group over 398.3 person-years. The incidence rate of HZ was 16.4 per 1000 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI]: 13.0-20.5) in the unvaccinated group and 0 (95% CI: 0.0-9.3) in the vaccinated group. In a time-dependent Cox model with Firth penalization, RZV was associated with a lower hazard of HZ (aHR, 0.06; 95% CI: 0.00-0.43; p < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>No HZ events occurred among vaccinated individuals in this cohort, a finding consistent with a protective association of RZV after KT. These findings support current recommendations for RZV use in immunocompromised populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":23318,"journal":{"name":"Transplant Infectious Disease","volume":" ","pages":"e70300"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148713781","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}