The Immunology of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Vaccines in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

• Published in: Viruses 2021-09, Vol.13 (9), p.1879
• Main Authors: Dęborska-Materkowska, Dominika, Kamińska, Dorota
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cell-mediated immunity; cellular immunity; Chemokines; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 vaccines; Cytokine storm; Cytokines; Endothelium; Fatalities; Hospitalization; humoral immunity; Immunocompromised hosts; Immunology; Immunosuppression; Immunosuppressive agents; Infections; Kidney transplants; Liver; Lymphocytes T; Mortality; Pandemics; Population; Proteins; Respiratory distress syndrome; Review; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; solid organ transplant recipients; Transplantation; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; vaccination; Viral infections
• ISSN: 1999-4915; 1999-4915
• DOI: 10.3390/v13091879

Since its outbreak in December 2019, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), led to an enormous rise in scientific response with an excess of COVID-19-related studies on the pathogenesis and potential therapeutic approaches. Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients are a heterogeneous population with long-lasting immunosuppression as a joining element. Immunocompromised patients are a vulnerable population with a high risk of severe infections and an increased infection-related mortality rate. It was postulated that the hyperinflammatory state due to cytokine release syndrome during severe COVID-19 could be alleviated by immunosuppressive therapy in SOT patients. On the other hand, it was previously established that T cell-mediated immunity, which is significantly weakened in SOT recipients, is the main component of antiviral immune responses. In this paper, we present the current state of science on COVID-19 immunology in relation to solid organ transplantation with prospective therapeutic and vaccination strategies in this population.