What is it about?
Introduction: Immunosuppression (IS) determines a higher risk of disease severity from Listeria monocytogenes (LM) infection. Methods: We examined the epidemiology of IS in all patients hospitalized with LM in Spain from 2000 to 2021 in the National Registry of Hospital Discharges. IS was defined by liver disease (LD), diabetes mellitus (DM), chronic kidney disease (CKD), solid organ transplantation (SOT), bone marrow transplantation (BMT), primary immunodeficiencies (ID), systemic auto immune diseases (SAD), solid organ neoplasms (SON), and hematological neoplasms (HN). Results: Among 8,152 admissions with LM, 48% were IS. There was an increase from 39.5% to 60% during the study period, mainly driven by rises in DM (from 12.6% to 26.2%), SON (from 9.9% to 17.5%), CKD (from 4.4% to 16.3%), HN (from 6.6% to 13.4%), and LD (from 4.9% to 6.6%) (p < 0.001 for all trends). IS fatality rate was higher than in non-IS (22.4% vs 11.3%; OR = 2.09). The proportion of LM patients with IS among LM in-hospital deaths increased from 57.1% in 2000 to 67.95% in 2021 (p < 0.001). Fatality risk differed according to baseline IS condition: LD (OR = 2.42), CKD (OR = 1.49), SON (OR 3.01) and HN (OR 1.45). Conclusions: The prevalence of IS among patients hospitalized with LM in Spain has risen over the past two decades, with a growing impact on fatality rates. These findings should prompt further efforts to prevent and manage properly LM infection.
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Why is it important?
This article is important because it shows that immunosuppression is increasing among patients hospitalized with Listeria monocytogenes infection and that this condition significantly raises mortality. Identifying the diseases associated with higher risk allows better targeting of prevention and treatment strategies, which could reduce complications and deaths in vulnerable patients. Furthermore, the progressive increase of immunosuppression as a risk factor highlights a growing healthcare challenge that requires specific attention.
Perspectives
As the author of the article, I believe these results serve as an urgent call for the medical community and public health authorities to pay closer attention to the immunosuppressed population regarding Listeria monocytogenes infection. The increasing trend of conditions such as diabetes, neoplasms, and liver and kidney diseases among affected patients indicates that the impact of LM is not only clinical but also epidemiological and social. My perspective is that it is essential to implement specific prevention protocols, improve early diagnosis, and optimize treatments in these vulnerable groups to reduce mortality and hospital burden. Additionally, this study opens the door to investigating the causes of this increase and developing comprehensive strategies to address the risk factors linked to immunosuppression.
Octavio Corral Pazos de Provens
Universidad Internacional de La Rioja
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Impact of immunosuppression on
Listeria monocytogenes
infection in Spain, Pathogens and Global Health, February 2025, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2025.2472300.
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