Indian Journal of Pathology and Microbiology (Jan 2020)

Fungal infection in post-renal transplant patient: Single-center experience

  • Krishan L Gupta,
  • Sahil Bagai,
  • Raja Ramachandran,
  • Vivek Kumar,
  • Manish Rathi,
  • Harbir S Kohli,
  • Ashish Sharma,
  • Arunaloke Chakrabarti

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4103/IJPM.IJPM_306_19
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 63, no. 4
pp. 587 – 592

Abstract

Read online

Introduction: Fungi are ubiquitous organisms and significantly alter the post-transplant course. They are a major cause of morbidity and mortality and more so in developing countries. Aims: To study the clinical profile, etiology, risk factors, treatment, and outcome of fungal infections in post-renal transplant recipients. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational retrospective study from January 2014 to June 2017 wherein renal transplant recipients with invasive fungal infection were included and were followed. Results: Amongst 550 renal transplant recipients, 56 (10.2%) patients developed invasive fungal infection. Mean age of patients was 40.61 ± 10.06 (13-66) years and mean duration of acquiring infection post-transplant was 25.33 ± 23.65 (1-96) months. Male to female ratio was 3:1. Fever was the commonest presentation observed in 89.3% patients. Cough (76.8%), breathlessness (64.3%), sputum (55.3%), hypoxia (50%), and hemoptysis (10.7%) were other common clinical symptoms at presentation. Mean serum creatinine at presentation was 1.70 mg/dl. Most common invasive fungal infection isolated was Mucormycosis 15 (26.7%), foolwed by Aspergillosis 13 (23.2%), Pneumocystis jiroveci 12 (21.4%), Cryptococcus 6 (10.7%), Candida 4 (7.1%), Histoplasmosis 3 (5.3%), Phaeohypomycosis 2 (3.5%), and 5 (8.9%) patients had undetermined fungal etiology. Twenty (35.7%) patients had evidence of dual infection. Use of antithymocyte globulin 27 (48.2%), post-transplant diabetes mellitus 18 (32.1%), Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection 16 (28.5%), anti-rejection therapy 9 (16%), and Hepatitis C infection 7 (12.5%) were some identified risk factors. Ten (17.8%) patients had graft loss and 12 (21.4%) patients died in the study period. Conclusions: Invasive fungal infection is a serious threat to renal transplant recipients. Patient and graft survival is significantly affected by fungal infection in developing world.

Keywords