Seminars in respiratory and critical care medicine
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Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) is now a widely recognized form of lung allograft rejection, with mounting evidence for AMR as an important risk factor for the development of chronic lung allograft dysfunction and markedly decreased long-term survival. Despite the recent development of the consensus diagnostic criteria, it remains a challenging diagnosis of exclusion. ⋯ In this review, we revisit the history of AMR in lung transplantation, describe our current understanding of its pathophysiology, discuss the use and limitations of the consensus diagnostic criteria, review current treatment strategies, and summarize long-term outcomes. We conclude with a synopsis of our most pressing gaps in knowledge, introduce recommendations for future directions, and highlight promising areas of active research.
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Invasive fungal infections threaten lung transplant outcomes with high associated morbidity and mortality. Pharmacologic prophylaxis may be key to prevent posttransplant invasive fungal infections, but cost, adverse effects, and absorption issues are barriers to effective prophylaxis. ⋯ While lung transplant recipients are susceptible to a variety of fungal pathogens, Candida spp. and Aspergillus spp. infections remain the most common. With emerging resistant organisms and multiple novel antifungal agents in the research pipeline, it is likely that treatment strategies will continue to evolve.
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Survival in lung transplant recipients (LTRs) lags behind heart, liver, and kidney transplant, in part due to the direct and indirect effects of infection. LTRs have increased susceptibility to infection due to the combination of a graft continually exposed to the outside world, multiple mechanisms for impaired mucus clearance, and immunosuppression. Community-acquired respiratory viral infections (CARVs) are common in LTRs. ⋯ Although single-center retrospective and prospective series implicate CARV in rejection and mortality, conclusive evidence for and well-defined mechanistic links to long-term outcome are lacking. Treatment of viral infections can be challenging except for influenza. Future studies are needed to develop better treatments and clarify the links between CARV and long-term outcomes.
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Lung transplantation in the United States, under oversight by the Organ Procurement Transplantation Network (OPTN) in the 1990s, operated under a system of allocation based on location within geographic donor service areas, wait time of potential recipients, and ABO compatibility. On May 4, 2005, the lung allocation score (LAS) was implemented by the OPTN Thoracic Organ Transplantation Committee to prioritize patients on the wait list based on a balance of wait list mortality and posttransplant survival, thus eliminating time on the wait list as a factor of prioritization. Patients were categorized into four main disease categories labeled group A (obstructive lung disease), B (pulmonary hypertension), C (cystic fibrosis), and D (restrictive lung disease/interstitial lung disease) with variables within each group impacting the calculation of the LAS. ⋯ LAS adjustments through the addition, modification or elimination of covariates to improve the estimates of patient severity of illness, have since been made in addition to establishing criteria for LAS value exceptions for pulmonary hypertension patients. Despite the success of the LAS, concerns about the prioritization, and transplantation of older, sicker individuals have made some aspects of the LAS controversial. Future changes in US lung allocation are anticipated with the current development of a continuous distribution model that incorporates the LAS, geographic distribution, and unaccounted aspects of organ allocation into an integrated score.