Serologic Evaluation for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in Pediatric Heart Transplantation Recipients and Patients on a Pediatric Heart Transplantation Waiting List in a Quaternary Hospital

Abstract

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has been a global reality for over three years. Serological studies have great importance for the comprehension of the virus's behavior in populations, as it can suggest the status of the epidemic in a community. This cross-sectional study aimed to analyze the serological profile for COVID-19 in patients before and after pediatric heart transplant. MethodsSerologies for IgG and IgM antibodies for Sars-CoV-2 were collected in patients of the Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Diseases unit of a Brazilian hospital between January and August 2022. In total, 174 patients were recruited: 28 on waiting list and 146 recipients. Information such as demographics (age, gender, state of origin), type of heart disease (congenital or acquired) and time after transplant were analyzed. ResultsOverall, 72 patients had a positive serology for anti-N antibodies (48,0%), being 62 transplant recipients and 10 patients on transplant waiting list, with positivity rates of 48,1% and 47,6%, respectively. Positivity rates for previously infected individuals were 62,5% and 62,1%, respectively. ConclusionsWe found that approximately half of the sample has developed IgM or IgG antibodies against the Sars-CoV-2 virus Serological studies are a relevant tool to public health for health promotion of vulnerable groups, and can be useful to future studies on the antibodies’ behavior. The duration and the level of protection given by these antibodies is still a subject being studied, and can become a key information for the protection of these populations if discovered in the future.