Histoplasmosis In Transplant Recipients Research Articles

Presentation and Outcomes of Histoplasmosis in Transplant Recipients: A Retrospective Single-Centre Cohort Study.

Histoplasmosis is an important infection among transplant recipients. Few studies have described its epidemiology and outcomes in the modern era. We conducted a retrospective analysis using medical records from a single center in the United States. We included patients 18 years or older with histoplasmosis. We divided the cohort into transplant recipients and immunocompetent groups to assess the outcomes in both groups. We utilized Cox hazard models to assess 90-day all-cause mortality. The study included 137 patients; with 28 (20%) transplant recipients. After the first year post-transplant, patients with lung transplant (30%) had a diagnosis of histoplasmosis. Transplant recipients exhibited a significantly higher incidence of disseminated histoplasmosis than immunocompetent patients (64%vs. 34%, p = 0.001), higher admission to ICU (39%vs. 16%; p = 0.01) and higher but not significant 90-day crude all-cause mortality (14%vs. 11%, p = 0.71). Patients with transplants had a higher, but not significant hazard of all-cause mortality at 90 days (hazard ratio: 1.5; 95% confidence interval: 0.4-3.9) when compared to immunocompetent patients. Transplant recipients were more commonly diagnosed with histoplasmosis after the first year post-transplantation, and although they exhibited a higher hazard for death at 90 days, this increase was not statistically significant.

1085. Epidemiology and Outcomes of Histoplasmosis in Transplant Recipients

BackgroundHistoplasmosis in transplant recipients is understudied. We reviewed a large cohort of histoplasmosis in patients with solid organ and stem cell transplants in an endemic area to describe the epidemiology, clinical findings and outcomes.MethodsWe performed a single-center retrospective cohort study of patients diagnosed with histoplasmosis between 2002 and 2017. Demographic data, clinical findings, diagnostic methods, treatment, and mortality were collected. We compared the characteristics of patients with history of transplant to non-transplant (NT) patients.ResultsWe identified 261 patients with histoplasmosis. Of those, 28(11%) were transplant recipients; 8(29%) liver, 8(29%) lung, 6(21%) kidney, 3(11%) heart, and 3(11%) stem cell.Median time from symptom onset to diagnosis was 6 vs 34 days in transplant vs NT groups (p=0.001). Lung was the most common organ involvement (89% in transplants vs 78% in NT, p=0.168). Spleen involvement was more commonly found in transplant patients (29 vs 14%, p=0.039). In patients with disseminated disease, urine antigen was 100% sensitive in transplant patients compared to 78% in the NT group (p=0.038). Duration of treatment was 13 vs 6 months in transplant vs NT patients (p= 0.003). Mortality was comparable between groups (14 vs 15% in transplant vs NT, p=0.918).Median time from transplant to diagnosis was 4.21 years. However, five patients (18%) developed histoplasmosis within 6 months. For these early diagnosed patients, ICU admission rate was 80 vs 30% (p=0.04) and rate of mechanical ventilator use was 80 vs 22% (p=0.011) compared to patients diagnosed later.Table 1: Patient characteristics Table 2: Organ involvement Table 3: Diagnostic test positivity ConclusionTransplant recipients with histoplasmosis are likely to be diagnosed early and be treated longer. Urine antigen is highly sensitive for diagnosis of disseminated disease. Histoplasmosis that occurs within the first 6 months after transplantation tends to be more severe.Disclosures Andrej Spec, MD, MSCI, Astellas (Grant/Research Support)Mayne (Consultant)Scynexis (Consultant)

Histoplasmosis in transplant recipients.

Histoplasma capsulatum is a dimorphic fungus that most often causes asymptomatic infection in the immunocompetent population. In immunocompromised patients, including solid organ transplant (SOT) and hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients, however, it is likely to cause severe life-threatening infection. Post-transplant histoplasmosis (PTH) in SOT is uncommon with an incidence of ≤1% and is even rarer in HCT patients. The majority of PTH in SOT is diagnosed in the first 2years following transplantation. Histoplasmosis may result from endogenous reactivation of latent infection, de novo post-transplant acquisition, and donor-derived infection. Disseminated infection is common. Fever is the most common symptom and clinical features are often nonspecific, but patients with disseminated infection may present with a septic picture. Other features, including pancytopenia and hepatosplenomegaly, may not be prominent early in the course of illness. Contemporary histoplasma antigen assays are the most sensitive tests but cross-reactivity with antigens of other fungi, including with Aspergillus galactomannan, is not uncommon. Treatment should be continued for at least a year. Histoplasma antigen levels have prognostic value and can be used to monitor the response to therapy. The attributable mortality is approximately 10%. Routine screening of donors and recipients is not currently recommended.

Endemic Fungal Infections in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

Endemic Fungal Infections in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients