Ann Liver Transplant.  2022 May;2(1):15-20. 10.52604/alt.22.0002.

Analysis of the number of liver and kidney transplantations during COVID-19 pandemic in Korea: A report of years 2020 and 2021

• Chung YK
• Kang SH

• KMID: 2560876
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.52604/alt.22.0002

Abstract

Background
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had serious effects on the healthcare system and has led to decrease in organ transplantation. Since the prevalence of COVID-19 in Korea was much lower than in Western countries, we analyzed the influence of COVID-19 on organ donation and transplantation in Korea.
Methods
The annual number of kidney transplantation (KT) and liver transplantation (LT) in 2020–2021 were compared with those in 2019 using data from Korean Network for Organ Sharing database.
Results
The number of deceased donors (DD) was 450 in 2019, 478 in 2020 and 442 in 2021; their average monthly number was 37.5±5.9 in 2019, 39.8±4.4 in 2020, and 36.8±6.4 in 2021 (p≥0.284). The annual case number of DDLT was 391 in 2019, 395 in 2020 and 357 in 2021; their monthly case number was 32.6±5.7, 32.9±4.7, and 29.8±3.6, respectively (p≥0.161). The annual case number of DDKT was 794, 848, and 747, respectively; their average monthly case number was 66.1±10.4, 70.7±9.8, and 62.3±12.2, respectively (p≥0.285). The annual case number of LDLT was 1,577, 1,146, and 1,126, respectively; their average monthly case number was 131.4±18.1, 95.5±8.0, and 93.8±8.9, respectively (p<0.001). The annual case number of LDKT was 2,293, 1,432, and 1,445, respectively; their average monthly case number was 191.1±19.5, 119.3±11.7, and 120.4±14.9, respectively (p<0.001).
Conclusion
The results of this study indicate that, in Korea, the number of DDLT and DDKT remained stable during 2020–2021, but those of LDLT and LDKT were significantly reduced in Korea during the two-year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keyword

Corona virus disease 19; Deceased donor; Living donors; Organ transplantation; Donation promotion

Figure

• 

  Figure 1 The annual incidence of deceased donors and deceased donor organ transplantation in Korea from January 2011 to December 2021. DDLT, deceased donor liver transplantation; DDKT, deceased donor kidney transplantation.

• 

  Figure 2 Comparison of the monthly incidences of deceased donors during the years 2019–2021 in Korea.

• 

  Figure 3 Comparison of the monthly incidences of deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) (A) deceased donor kidney transplantation (DDKT) (B) and during the years 2019–2021 in Korea.

• 

  Figure 4 Comparison of the monthly incidences of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) (A) and living donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) (B) during the years 2019–2021 in Korea.

• 

  Figure 5 Comparison of the number of the deceased and living donor kidney and liver transplantations during the years 2019–2021 in Korea. DDLT, deceased donor liver transplantation; LDLT, living donor liver transplantation; DDKT, deceased donor kidney transplantation; LDKT, living donor kidney transplantation.

Reference

1. Azzi Y, Bartash R, Scalea J, Loarte-Campos P, Akalin E. 2021; COVID-19 and solid organ transplantation: a review article. Transplantation. 105:37–55. DOI: 10.1097/TP.0000000000003523. PMID: 33148977.

2. Sahin TT, Akbulut S, Yilmaz S. 2020; COVID-19 pandemic: its impact on liver disease and liver transplantation. World J Gastroenterol. 26:2987–2999. DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v26.i22.2987. PMID: 32587443. PMCID: PMC7304105.

3. Domínguez-Gil B, Coll E, Fernández-Ruiz M, Corral E, Del Río F, Zaragoza R, et al. 2020; COVID-19 in Spain: transplantation in the midst of the pandemic. Am J Transplant. 20:2593–2598. DOI: 10.1111/ajt.15983. PMID: 32359194. PMCID: PMC7267131.

4. Domínguez-Gil B, Fernández-Ruiz M, Hernández D, Crespo M, Colmenero J, Coll E, et al. 2021; Organ donation and transplantation during the COVID-19 pandemic: a summary of the Spanish experience. Transplantation. 105:29–36. DOI: 10.1097/TP.0000000000003528. PMID: 33165237.

5. Turco C, Lim C, Soubrane O, Malaquin G, Kerbaul F, Bastien O, et al. 2021; Impact of the first Covid-19 outbreak on liver transplantation activity in France: a snapshot. Clin Res Hepatol Gastroenterol. 45:101560. DOI: 10.1016/j.clinre.2020.10.005. PMID: 33176991. PMCID: PMC7649029.

6. Cannavò A, Passamonti SM, Martinuzzi D, Longobardi A, Fiorattini A, Troni NM, et al. 2020; The impact of COVID-19 on solid organ donation: the North Italy transplant program experience. Transplant Proc. 52:2578–2583. DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2020.06.025. PMID: 32709414. PMCID: PMC7316055.

7. Merola J, Schilsky ML, Mulligan DC. 2020; The impact of COVID-19 on organ donation, procurement and liver transplantation in the United States. Hepatol Commun. 5:5–11. DOI: 10.1002/hep4.1620. PMID: 33043228. PMCID: PMC7537114.

8. Loupy A, Aubert O, Reese PP, Bastien O, Bayer F, Jacquelinet C. 2020; Organ procurement and transplantation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lancet. 395:e95–e96. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31040-0.

9. Park CS, Park YH. 2021; Impact of COVID-19 on the number of deceased donors and organ transplantation in Western countries. Ann Liver Transplant. 1:123–128. DOI: 10.52604/alt.21.0027.

10. Kim DH, Park SJ, Kang HJ, Yeom EJ, Yoo NE, Lee JM, et al. 2020; Factors related to COVID-19 Incidence and Mortality rate in Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea. J Agric Med Community Health. 45:235–244.

11. Rivera R, Rosenbaum JE, Quispe W. 2020; Excess mortality in the United States during the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Epidemiol Infect. 148:e264. DOI: 10.1017/S0950268820002617. PMID: 33115546. PMCID: PMC7653492.

12. Baud D, Qi X, Nielsen-Saines K, Musso D, Pomar L, Favre G. 2020; Real estimates of mortality following COVID-19 infection. Lancet Infect Dis. 20:773. DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30195-X.

13. Hong JJ, Hwang S, Moon DB, Kim YH, Shin S, Kim IO, et al. 2021; An analysis of the number of liver and kidney transplantations during COVID-19 pandemic in Korea. Korean J Transplant. 35:247–252. DOI: 10.4285/kjt.21.0030.

14. Lee J, Kim EJ, Ihn K, Lee JG, Joo DJ, Kim MS, et al. 2020; The feasibility of organ transplantation during the COVID-19 outbreak: experiences from South Korea. Korean J Transplant. 34:257–264. DOI: 10.4285/kjt.20.0048.

15. Nobel YR, Phipps M, Verna EC. 2021; COVID-19 and effect on liver transplant. Curr Treat Options Gastroenterol. 19:483–499. DOI: 10.1007/s11938-021-00355-w. PMID: 34421290. PMCID: PMC8364825.

16. Colmenero J, Rodríguez-Perálvarez M, Salcedo M, Arias-Milla A, Muñoz-Serrano A, Graus J, et al. 2021; Epidemiological pattern, incidence, and outcomes of COVID-19 in liver transplant patients. J Hepatol. 74:148–155. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2020.07.040. PMID: 32750442. PMCID: PMC7395653.

17. Marjot T, Moon AM, Cook JA, Abd-Elsalam S, Aloman C, Armstrong MJ, et al. 2021; Outcomes following SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with chronic liver disease: an international registry study. J Hepatol. 74:567–577. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2020.09.024. PMID: 33035628. PMCID: PMC7536538.

18. Bajaj JS, Garcia-Tsao G, Biggins SW, Kamath PS, Wong F, McGeorge S, et al. 2021; Comparison of mortality risk in patients with cirrhosis and COVID-19 compared with patients with cirrhosis alone and COVID-19 alone: multicentre matched cohort. Gut. 70:531–536. DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2020-322118. PMID: 32660964. PMCID: PMC7371484.

19. Strauss AT, Boyarsky BJ, Garonzik-Wang JM, Werbel W, Durand CM, Avery RK, et al. 2021; Liver transplantation in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic: national and center-level responses. Am J Transplant. 21:1838–1847. DOI: 10.1111/ajt.16373. PMID: 33107180.

20. Dhand A, Bodin R, Wolf DC, Schluger A, Nabors C, Nog R, et al. 2021; Successful liver transplantation in a patient recovered from COVID-19. Transpl Infect Dis. 23:e13492. DOI: 10.1111/tid.13492. PMID: 33040430. PMCID: PMC7646032.

21. Malleeswaran S, Mohanka R, Yalakanti RB, Patcha R, Rao PS, Appusamy E, et al. 2021; Living donor hepatectomy after proven SARS-CoV-2 infection: first report of 9 cases from 3 centers. Transplantation. 105:e70–e71. DOI: 10.1097/TP.0000000000003750. PMID: 33724249.

22. Belli LS, Fondevila C, Cortesi PA, Conti S, Karam V, Adam R, et al. ELITA-ELTR COVID-19 Registry. DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2020.11.045. PMID: 33307029. PMCID: PMC7724463.

23. Salerno DM, Kovac D, Corbo H, Jennings DL, Lee J, Choe J, et al. 2021; SARS-CoV-2 infection increases tacrolimus concentrations in solid-organ transplant recipients. Clin Transplant. 35:e14193. DOI: 10.1111/ctr.14193. PMCID: PMC7883259.

24. Boyarsky BJ, Werbel WA, Avery RK, Tobian AAR, Massie AB, Segev DL, et al. 2021; Immunogenicity of a single dose of SARS-CoV-2 messenger RNA vaccine in solid organ transplant recipients. JAMA. 325:1784–1786. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2021.4385. PMID: 33720292. PMCID: PMC7961463.