The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected 1,029,968 people in Asia as of May 16, 2020. Although Asia was the first continent to be affected, many countries in the region continue to battle COVID-19, which challenges the way transplant programs provide their services. Given the diversity of healthcare systems in Asia, the countermeasures in response to COVID-19 are as potentially diverse. This review reports the experiences of transplant services in member countries of the Asian Society of Transplantation (AST) as well as provides a platform for sharing of best practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. AST invited member countries to provide a short description of their transplant experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whenever information is available, countries were asked to provide information on COVID-19 related statistics, status of transplant programs, mitigation measures taken to prevent COVID-19, and other areas of transplant programs impacted by COVID-19. Ten countries responded to the invitation of which seven still have active transplant programs at varying levels of activity. All countries have protocols for donor/recipient screening and countermeasures to prevent COVID-19 infections in recipients and healthcare providers. Interestingly, these countries report only 16 transplant recipients with COVID-19 infection but no cases of donor-transmitted COVID-19 infection. Despite the diversity of healthcare systems in Asia, transplant centers in Asia have taken appropriate precautions to avoid COVID-19 infections, though the long-term impact of COVID-19 remains unclear.

Background: Asia is the global epicenter of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; however, COVID-19-related mortality in Asia remains lower than in other parts of the world. It is uncertain whether the mortality of COVID-19-infected kidney transplant recipients (KTXs) from Asia follows the lower mortality trends of the younger Asian population. Methods: Specific transplant centers from countries in the Asian Society of Transplantation were invited to participate in a study to examine the epidemiology, clinical features, natural history, and outcomes of COVID-19 infections in KTXs. Data were analyzed and compared with those of large cohort studies from other countries. Results: The study population was 87 KTXs from nine hospitals in seven Asian countries. Within the study population, 9% were aged 60 years and older, and 79% had at least one comorbidity. The majority of patients (69%) presented with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 severity. Disease progression was more frequently encountered among those with moderate or severe infection (23%) and non-survivors (55%). The mortality rate was 23% (n=20) and differed according to the level of care: 12% (n=1/8), 15% (n=10/67), and 100% (n=9/9) of patients managed as outpatients, in the general ward, and in the intensive care unit, respectively. Disease severity at the time of presentation was an independent predictor of mortality. Compared with the mortality rates in other studies worldwide, mortality rates in the current study were comparable. Conclusions: Mortality in Asian KTXs who were infected with COVID-19 remains high and could be related to comorbidity burden and the constraints of the general healthcare system when the COVID-19 caseload is high.

Background:The number of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients is increasing in Bangladesh. Currently, living kidney donation is the only viable option for transplantation in Bangladesh, and it is further restricted by ABO compatibility issues. We have performed ABO-incompatible kidney transplantations (ABOi KTs) in Bangladesh since 2018. This study examines our experiences with seven cases of ABOi KT. Methods: The desensitization protocol included low-dose rituximab (100 mg/body) followed by plasma exchange (PEX), which was followed by a 5-g dose of intravenous immunoglobulin. Immunosuppression was undertaken using tacrolimus (0.1 mg/kg/day), mycophenolate mofetil (1,500 mg/day), and prednisolone (0.5 mg/kg/day). All patients received basiliximab for induction therapy. Results:The median baseline anti-ABO antibody titer was 1:64 (range, 1:32-1:128).Transplantation was performed at a titer of ≤1:8. Our patients attended three to five PEX sessions before transplantation. Graft survival was 100% in the seven cases over a mean period of 22 months. The mean creatinine level was 204.6±47.4 μmol/L. Two patients were suspected of having developed acute rejection and received intravenous methylprednisolone, resulting in improved kidney function. One patient required posttransplant hemodialysis due to delayed graft function and subsequently improved. Infection was the most common complication experienced by ABOi KT patients. Two patients developed severe cytomegalovirus pneumonia and died with functioning grafts. Conclusions: ABOi KT in Bangladesh will substantially expand the living kidney donor pool and bring hope to a large number of ESRD patients without ABO-compatible donors. However, the high cost and risk of acute rejection and infection remain major concerns.

Malnutrition is associated with high rates of mortality among patients with end stage kidney disease (ESKD). There is a paucity of data from Bangladesh, where around 35,000–40,000 people reach ESKD annually. We assessed protein-energy wasting (PEW) amongst 133 patients at a single hemodialysis setting in Dhaka. Patients were 49% male, age 50 ± 13 years, 62% were on twice-weekly hemodialysis. Anthropometric, biochemical, and laboratory evaluations revealed: BMI 24.1 ± 5.2 kg/m2, mid-arm muscle circumference (MAMC) 21.6 ± 3.6 cm, and serum albumin 3.7 ± 0.6 g/dL. Based on published criteria, 18% patients had PEW and for these patients, BMI (19.8 ± 2.4 vs. 25.2 ± 5.2 kg/m2), MAMC (19.4 ± 2.4 vs. 22.2 ± 3.8 cm), serum albumin (3.5 ± 0.7 vs. 3.8 ± 0.5 g/dL), and total cholesterol (135 ± 34 vs. 159 ± 40 mg/dL), were significantly lower as compared to non-PEW patients, while hand grip strength was similar (19.5 ± 7.6 vs. 19.7 ± 7.3 kg). Inflammatory C-reactive protein levels tended to be higher in the PEW group (20.0 ± 34.8 vs. 10.0 ± 13.9 p = 0.065). Lipoprotein analyses revealed PEW patients had significantly lower low density lipoprotein cholesterol (71 ± 29 vs. 88 ± 31 mg/dL, p < 0.05) and plasma triglyceride (132 ± 51 vs. 189 ± 103 mg/dL, p < 0.05), while high density lipoprotein cholesterol was similar. Nutritional assessments using a single 24 h recall were possible from 115 of the patients, but only 66 of these were acceptable reporters. Amongst these, while no major differences were noted between PEW and non-PEW patients, the majority of patients did not meet dietary recommendations for energy, protein, fiber, and several micronutrients (in some cases intakes were 60–90% below recommendations). Malnutrition Inflammation Scores were significantly higher in PEW patients (7.6 ± 3.1 vs. 5.3 ± 2.7 p < 0.004). No discernible differences were apparent in measured parameters between patients on twice- vs. thrice-weekly dialysis. Data from a larger cohort are needed prior to establishing patient-management guidelines for PEW in this population.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients remains a major challenge for physicians and surgeons. Active tuberculosis (TB) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in SOT recipients. MTB usually develops after transplantation in a recipient with latent TB infection (LTBI) before transplantation and may also be transmitted from the donor or acquired from the community. Therefore, screening for LTBI in donors and recipients before transplantation is very important in preventing active disease after transplantation. This review article is based on recently published data, case series, and expert recommendations. We reviewed updated information about the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of latent and active TB before and after transplantation. We also reviewed recent treatments for multidrug-resistant TB.