COVID-19 Impact on Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms of Kidney Transplantation Recipients

IntroductionKidney transplantation recipients are one of the most vulnerable populations to COVID-19 infection and are more prone to develop complications. The lower urinary tract might be seriously affected by COVID-19 disease in this population. The present study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 disease on LUTS in kidney transplantation recipients.MethodsAll patients who underwent kidney transplantation at Sina Hospital (Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran) were included in this cross-sectional study. Covid-19 infection was confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of oropharyngeal swabs. All patients with urinary tract infections were excluded from the study. LUTS status was assessed by International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS). ResultsThe study involved 153 consecutive kidney transplant recipients; 67 (43.8%) and 86 (56.2%) patients were with and without Covid-19, respectively. The mean age of all patients was 49.7±12.9 years, and 105 (68.6%) males were in the study. The mean IPSS in kidney transplant recipients with and without Covid-19 was 2.74±3.0 and 1.96± 2.7, respectively. A significant difference was observed in IPSS between patients with and without Covid-19 (P-value=0.03). The kidney transplant recipients with COVID-19 had a higher risk of moderate IPSS (OR: 1.5 CI 95%: 0.5-4.87) than those without COVID-19, but it is not significant (P-value=0.4). ConclusionWe pioneering found that LUTS in kidney transplant recipients measured by the validated tool IPSS was significantly more intense in those affected by COVID-19 infection. Future studies are necessary to explore t long-term impact and potential sequels.