A review on mTOR inhibitor use and outcomes of COVID-19 among patients with kidney transplantation

Abstract

Kidney transplant recipients are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 due to immunosuppression and the impact of mTOR inhibitors on outcomes remains unclear. Hence, we evaluated 24 observational studies with 5,882 kidney transplant patients to assess the association of mTOR inhibitors with COVID-19 severity and mortality. Random-effects models showed that mTOR inhibitors were significantly associated with reduced mortality (OR=0.63, 95% CI 0.48-0.83, P=0.001) but not with COVID-19 severity (OR=0.70, 95% CI 0.41-1.20, P=0.865). Thus, mTOR inhibitors may provide a survival benefit in kidney transplant patients with COVID-19, highlighting the need for further research.