The American Society of Transplantation Online Transplant Infectious Diseases Library

Blastomycosis is a fungal infection caused primarily by Blastomyces dermatitis. The fungus is endemic to the Ohio, Mississippi, and St. Lawrence River areas of the United States. Organ transplant recipients are at risk of blastomycosis due to pharmacologic immunosuppression. Over a 20-year period, 30 cases of blastomycosis post-solid organ transplantation were identified at our center. The cumulative incidence of blastomycosis among SOT recipients was 0.99%. There was a male predominance...

Kidney transplant recipients with high-risk cytomegalovirus (CMV) serostatus (seropositive donor to seronegative recipient) are at risk for late-onset CMV after cessation of antiviral prophylaxis. We report findings from a strategy of bimonthly (every 2 weeks) CMV screening for late-onset CMV. This is a single-center retrospective cohort study of 70 high-risk CMV kidney transplant recipients transplanted between June 2016 and September 2018. Patients were monitored at 6–12 months...

Limited data are available on legionellosis after hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). The aim of this study was to report the cases of legionellosis and to identify predictors of legionellosis, legionellosis-associated death, and non-relapse mortality (NRM). All cases of post-HSCT legionellosis from the EBMT registry were included and matched with controls in a 3:1 ratio for the analyses of risk factors. In the years 1995–2016, 80 cases from 52 centers in 14 countries were identified...

Cytopenias are a common occurrence in both hematopoietic stem cell and solid organ transplant recipients, particularly in the early post-transplant time period. The etiology is frequently multifactorial, reflecting the simultaneous interplay of infection, immunologic derangements, and medication effects in this patient population. These factors continually change over time, further adding to the complexity of diagnosis and management. Thorough evaluation of the individual’s medical history,...

Cystic fibrosis is an autosomal recessive inherited disorder of salt transport. The natural history of the disease is determined by the development of chronic bronchiectasis and ensuing chronic colonization with multidrug-resistant bacteria and fungi. End-stage lung disease commonly necessitates lung transplant, and occasionally even combined lung/liver or lung/kidney transplant may be the only way forward for affected patients. Due to the common organisms colonizing the lungs of patients...

Infectious complications are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in both solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients. The risk of infection by common opportunistic pathogens like cytomegalovirus can be mitigated with the optimal use of molecular diagnostics and antiviral prophylaxis. Novel and emerging bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic pathogens may be more successfully managed with early diagnosis and therapy. In the care of solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell...

While some biologicals have been routinely used in solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients for years, a number of newer compounds have been added to the armamentarium for varying indications spanning from the underlying disease to complications of transplantation. This chapter aims at describing the infectious risk of a selection of compounds. The specific chapters list a number of recommendations to consider for infection prevention, in addition to the standard...

Transplantation in recent years has become a viable option to treat end stage organ failure in people living with HIV infection. Significant advances in the understanding of appropriate immunosuppression management and infection prevention have resulted in graft and patient survival comparable to HIV-negative recipients in many cases. Given the higher incidence of end stage organ disease in HIV positive patients, particularly liver cirrhosis and dialysis dependent renal failure, transplant...

Community respiratory viral infections (CRVIs) are associated with pulmonary function impairment, alloimmune lung syndromes and inferior survival in human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-matched allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) recipients. Although the incidence of viral infections in HLA-haploidentical HCT recipients who receive post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy)-based graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis is reportedly increased, there are insufficient data...

Characteristics of transplant candidates can significantly impact risk for infection after transplantation and immunosuppression start. These characteristics include a wide variety of risk factors for potential infection ranging from country of origin and travel history to history of immunosuppression, to certain comorbid conditions, and to diet and occupation. Increased mobility and medical complexity of transplant patients, and the changing epidemiology of pathogen distribution, can...

Influenza virus is a common respiratory virus in solid organ and stem cell transplant recipients. Influenza infection in immunocompromised hosts can result in severe disease, as compared to general population. Risk factors for severe influenza infection in transplant recipients include treatment with antilymphocyte globulin, presence of lower respiratory disease, and infection early after transplantation. Transplant programs should act to optimize prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of...

The endemic fungi are a group of thermally dimorphic fungi that occupy specific defined environmental ranges. They count Histoplasma, Blastomyces, Paracoccidioides, Coccidioides, Talaromyces, Emergomyces, and Sporothrix among their number. In the environment, they exist as molds, and at body temperature, they transform into their pathogenic yeast form (or, in the case of coccidioidomycosis, into a specialized structure called a spherule). Histoplasma, Blastomyces, and Paracoccidioides are...

Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) cause morbidity and mortality after organ transplantation. Infection from these organisms may arise from pre-transplant colonization/infectious events, and these organisms may be donor-derived. Here we review the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, disease diagnostics, and therapeutic modalities for six common MDRO bacterial pathogens in the context of solid organ and bone marrow transplantation.

Background Vaccine preventable diseases can affect solid organ transplant recipients post-transplant. Therefore, the administration of vaccines and assessment of serologic response should be prioritized in the pre-transplant period. Methods This single-center, retrospective study included 349 adult heart or lung transplant candidates between December 1, 2017 and November 30, 2019. We describe vaccination or serologic status for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, tetanus, pneumococcal, influenza, and...

Coccidioidomycosis is an infection due to the fungal species Coccidioides, which is most heavily endemic in the desert southwestern USA. Although early studies of this infection among transplant recipients in the endemic region were complicated by high morbidity and mortality, solid organ and hematologic stem cell transplantation can be a successful undertaking within the Coccidioides-endemic region. Such success has been attributed to careful attention to screening for and treatment of...

Both solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant candidates and recipients are at high risk for healthcare-associated infections due to their underlying diseases, comorbid conditions, as well as the receipt of augmented immunosuppression to prevent rejection. Partnership between transplant physicians, institutional leaders, and infection preventionists allows for the accommodation of this growing vulnerable patient population into institutional risk assessments and hazard analyses. In...

Background The spectrum of human adenovirus (HAdV)–related disease is broad, and the virus acts on many organs and systems in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients. We aimed to evaluate the effect of HAdV-DNA positivity with clinical and laboratory findings 4 months after HSCT. Methods and results We retrospectively investigated HAdV-DNA in 153 HSCT recipients (≤18 years) by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RealStar; Altona Diagnostics). The results of...

HIV transmission via solid organ transplant is a rare but serious complication. Here, we describe long-term outcomes in a case of living donor-derived transmission of HIV in a kidney transplant recipient. After 11 years since transplant surgery, the donor shows no evidence of abnormal renal function, while the recipient continues to have a functioning graft. HIV is well controlled in both individuals. This single case report highlights the possibility of acceptable long-term outcomes in...

Invasive aspergillosis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in hematopoietic stem cell transplant and solid organ transplant recipients. The introduction of new noninvasive tests, combined with more effective and better-tolerated antifungal agents, has decreased the mortality rates associated with invasive aspergillosis.

Respiratory viruses are among the most common causes of infection among solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. Respiratory viruses, such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, can cause a range of disease from asymptomatic shedding, upper respiratory infections, to life threatening pneumonia. In addition, respiratory viruses may be associated with chronic sequelae, including devasting late complications such as chronic rejection in lung transplant recipients and...