Immunosuppression

The Moderna COVID-19 mRNA vaccine was more likely to elicit a stronger response in patients with varying degrees of immunosuppression than the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, according to data published in JAMA Network Open.

Although the development and use of biomarkers in liver transplantation has progressed in recent years, challenges and limitations remain, according to presenters at the American Transplant Congress 2022.

Memo Therapeutics AG announced the initiation of a phase 1 clinical study to examine MTX-005 against BK polyomavirus infection among kidney transplant patients.

Worse COVID-19 outcomes in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus are driven by comorbidities, demographics and untreated or active disease, according to data published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

At this time, it’s unclear whether immunocompromised individuals will need to be boosted with COVID-19 vaccinations at any interval. We currently lack the robust data needed to inform this decision. What is clear, however, is that the immunocompromised need to be treated differently when it comes to COVID-19 vaccination (as is the case with many vaccinations). It has already been shown that they are clearly less likely to respond to standard vaccination regimens and are overrepresented among those with rare breakthrough hospitalizations. These data led to the recommendation that an additional messenger RNA vaccine dose be given to the immunocompromised, extending the primary vaccine series.

Patients with rare autoimmune rheumatic diseases have a 54% increased risk for COVID-19 infection, and more than twice the risk for COVID-19 death, versus the general population, according to data published in Rheumatology.

In this video, Craig A. Shadur, MD, a transplant nephrologist from Des Moines, Iowa, discussed the use of pegloticase for patients with kidney transplants.

First, let me say that I clearly do not know how the pandemic will end, but after considerable and ongoing study of this question, I am convinced it will not magically disappear.

Steroid avoidance can lower the risk of diabetes mellitus after transplant in older patients or those who have higher BMIs when paired with appropriate induction regimens, according to data published in Kidney Medicine.

Nothing is easy in the management of COVID-19. Similarly, nothing is easy in managing immunocompromised patients. Marry the two and the challenges more than double.