The kidney is one of the major extrapulmonary organs involved in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections, but direct viral access to the kidney is not well understood. Fulminant viremia and viruria are not typical features of COVID-19 patients. Yet, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in kidney tissue in up to 50% of COVID-19 patients on postmortem series.1 While our understanding of COVID-19 continues to evolve, consider these important aspects of COVID-19 related to kidney disease.
The author has no competing interests to declare.
Hassler L, Reyes F, Sparks M, Welling P, Batlle D. Evidence For and Against Direct Kidney Infection by SARS-CoV-2 in Patients with COVID-19. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2021 Jun 14;CJN.04560421. doi: https://doi.org/10.2215/CJN.04560421
Chan L, Chaudhary K, Saha A, et al. AKI in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2021 Jan;32(1):151–160. doi: https://doi.org/10.1681/ASN.2020050615
Pei G, Zhang Z, Peng J, et al. Renal Involvement and Early Prognosis in Patients with COVID-19 Pneumonia. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2020 Jun;31(6):1157–1165. doi: https://doi.org/10.1681/ASN.2020030276
Lopes RD, Macedo AVS, de Barros ESPGM, et al. Effect of Discontinuing vs Continuing Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors and Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers on Days Alive and Out of the Hospital in Patients Admitted With COVID-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2021 Jan 19;325(3):254–264. doi: https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.25864
Corbett RW, Blakey S, Nitsch D, et al. Epidemiology of COVID-19 in an Urban Dialysis Center. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2020 Aug;31(8):1815–1823. doi: https://doi.org/10.1681/ASN.2020040534
Ng JH, Hirsch JS, Wanchoo R, et al. Outcomes of patients with end-stage kidney disease hospitalized with COVID-19. Kidney Int. 2020 Dec;98(6):1530–1539. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.kint.2020.07.030
Azzi Y, Parides M, Alani O, et al. COVID-19 infection in kidney transplant recipients at the epicenter of pandemics. Kidney Int. 2020 Dec;98(6):1559–1567. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.kint.2020.10.004
Speer C, Goth D, Benning L, et al. Early Humoral Responses of Hemodialysis Patients after COVID-19 Vaccination with BNT162b2. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2021 Jul;16(7):1073–1082. doi: https://doi.org/10.2215/CJN.03700321
Yi SG, Knight RJ, Graviss EA, et al. Kidney Transplant Recipients Rarely Show an Early Antibody Response Following the First COVID-19 Vaccine Administration. Transplantation. 2021 Jul 1;105(7):e72–e73. doi: https://doi.org/10.1097/TP.0000000000003764
Boyarsky BJ, Werbel WA, Avery RK, et al. Antibody Response to 2-Dose SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine Series in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients. JAMA. 2021 Jun 1;325(21):2204–2206. doi: https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2021.7489
Werbel WA, Boyarsky BJ, Ou MT, et al. Safety and Immunogenicity of a Third Dose of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients: A Case Series. Ann Intern Med. 2021 Sep;174(9):1330–1332. doi: https://doi.org/10.7326/L21-0282