Donor to recipient age matching in lung transplantation: A European experience.

BACKGROUND: The age profile of organ donors and patients on lung transplantation (LT) waiting lists have changed over time. In Europe, the donor population has aged much more rapidly than the recipient population, making allocation decisions on lungs from older donors common. In this study we assessed the impact of donor and recipient age discrepancy on LT outcomes in the UK and France. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of all adult single or bilateral LT in France and the UK between 2010 and 2021. Recipients were stratified into 3 age author groups: young (≤30 years), middle-aged (30-60) and older (≥60). Their donors were also stratified into 2 groups <60, ≥60. Primary graft dysfunction (PGD) rates and recipient survival was compared between matched and mismatched donor and recipient age groups. Propensity matching was employed to minimize covariate imbalances and to improve the internal validity of our results. RESULTS: Our study cohort was 4,696 lung transplant recipients (LTRs). In young and older LTRs, there was no significant difference in 1 and 5-year post-transplant survival dependent on the age category of the donor. Young LTRs who received older donor grafts had a higher risk of severe grade 3 PGD. CONCLUSION: Our findings show that clinically usable organs from older donors can be utilized safely in LT, even for younger recipients. Further research is needed to assess if the higher rate of PGD3 associated with use of older donors has an effect on long-term outcomes.

[Follow-up strategies for lung transplant recipients in France]. / Suivi partagé des patients transplantés pulmonaires.

BACKGROUND: Lung transplantation (LT) requires sustained care for a frequently polypathological condition. Follow-up is focused on three main issues: 1/stability of respiratory function; 2/comorbidity management; 3/preventive medicine. About 3000 LT patients in France are treated in 11 LT centers. Given the increased size of the LT recipient cohort, follow-up might be partially shared with peripheral centers. METHODS: This paper presents the suggestions of a working group of the SPLF (French-speaking respiratory medicine society) on possible modalities of shared follow-up. RESULTS: While the main LT center is tasked with centralizing follow-up, particularly the choice of optimal immunosuppression, an identified peripheral center (PC) may serve as an alternative to deal with acute events, comorbidities and routine assessment. Communication between the different centers should be free-flowing. Shared follow-up may be offered from the 3rd postoperative year to stable and consenting patients, whereas unstable and non-observant patients are poor candidates. CONCLUSION: These guidelines may serve as a reference for any pneumologist wishing to effectively contribute to follow-up, even and especially subsequent to lung transplant.

[Updated indications and contraindications in 2022 for lung transplantation in France]. / Transplantation pulmonaire en France : actualisation des indications et contre-indications en 2022.

Lung transplantation (LTx) is the last-resort treatment for end-stage respiratory insufficiency, whatever its origin, and represents a steadily expanding field of endeavor. Major developments have been impelled over the years by painstaking efforts at LTx centers to improve donor and recipient selection, and multifaceted attempts have been made to meet the challenges raised by surgical management, perioperative care, and long-term medical complications. The number of procedures has increased, leading to improved post-LTx prognosis. One consequence of these multiple developments has been a pruning away of contraindications over time, which has, in some ways, complicated the patient selection process. With these considerations in mind, the Francophone Pulmonology Society (Société de Pneumology de Langue Française [SPLF]) has set up a task force to produce up-to-date working guidelines designed to assist pulmonologists in managing end-stage respiratory insufficiency, determining which patients may be eligible for LTx, and appropriately timing LTx-center referral. The task force has examined the most recent literature and evaluated the risk factors that continue to limit patient survival after LTx. Ideally, the objectives of LTx are to prolong life while improving quality of life. The guidelines developed by the task force apply to a limited resource and are consistent with the ethical principles described below.

Tularemia: A rare cause of pediatric lymph nodes adenitis.

Adenopathy in pediatrics can have many different causes: infectious, tumoral, and inflammatory. We report the case of an 8-year-old patient with a febrile popliteal ulceration associated with an inflammatory satellite inguinal lymph node adenitis. Serological tests and polymerase chain reaction analyses confirmed the diagnosis of ulceroglandular tularemia. An appropriate antimicrobial therapy led to a full recovery. This case reminds us to consider tularemia as a potential emergent disease in children presenting with subacute to chronic lymphadenopathy and thereby to choose the correct diagnostic tool and appropriate antimicrobial therapy.

The determinants of dyspnoea evaluated by the mMRC scale: The French Palomb cohort.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Dyspnoea is a major symptom in COPD patients, but the determinants that could be associated with a higher dyspnoea mMRC score in COPD patients remain unclear. Our research aimed to study the determinants of dyspnoea at the threshold of 1, 2, 3 and 4 mMRC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Diagnosis of COPD was made using spirometry with post-bronchodilator FEV1FVC<70%. An online questionnaire has been employed by pulmonologists to recruit COPD patients. The following variables were collected: age, gender, BMI, FEV1, RV, IC, TLC, FRC, mMRC, frequency of exacerbations and comorbidities. The LASSO was used to select the variables associated with the mMRC dyspnoea scale in a subgroup (who had no missing IC, RV and FRC values) of 421 COPD patients defined by the previously mentioned variables. RESULTS: One thousand nine hundred and sevety-three patients (65.3% males, average age=66±10, 38% current smokers) were included. Dyspnoea was correlated with a low FEV1 and with the number of exacerbations in the past 12 months. Multivariate analysis showed that the determinants of dyspnoea(mMRC≥2) are: FEV1: OR=3.71[2.86-4.82]; anxiety: OR=2.52[1.82-3.47]; cough: OR=1.94[1.57-2.40]; bronchiectasis: OR=1.84[1.03-3.29]; age: OR=1.80[1.45-2.24]; hyperinflation (RV/TLC): OR=1.68[1.34-2.11]; ischemic cardiopathy: OR=1.63[1.22-2.18]; hypertension: OR=1.52[1.21-1.91]; exacerbations (≥2): OR=1.41[1.10-1.81]; women: OR=1.39[1.10-1.74] and overweight: OR=1.33[1.06-1.67]. The subgroup analysis showed that: FEV1: OR=3.47[1.96-6.12]; exacerbations (≥2) OR=2.31[1.33-4.17] and hyperinflation (IC/TLC) OR=0.57[0.35-0.85] were associated with higher dyspnoea (mMRC≥2). CONCLUSION: Our results showed that dyspnoea is related to the severity of airflow limitation, gender, exacerbations, comorbidities and hyperinflation.

[Selection of lung transplant candidates in France in 2019]. / Sélection des candidats à la transplantation pulmonaire en France en 2019.

INTRODUCTION: In 2015, the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) published a consensus document for the selection of lung transplant candidates. In the absence of recent French recommendations, this guideline is useful in order to send lung transplant candidates to the transplantation centers and to list them for lung transplantation at the right time. BACKGROUND: The main indications for lung transplantation in adults are COPD and emphysema, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and interstitial diseases, cystic fibrosis and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The specific indications for each underlying disease as well as the general contraindications have been reviewed in 2015 by the ISHLT. For cystic fibrosis, the main factors are forced expiratory volume in one second, 6-MWD, PAH and clinical deterioration characterized by increased frequency of exacerbations; for emphysema progressive disease, the BODE score, hypercapnia and FEV1; for PAH progressive disease or the need of specific intravenous therapy and NYHA classification. Finally, the diagnosis of fibrosing interstitial lung disease is usually a sufficient indication for lung transplantation assessment. OUTLOOK AND CONCLUSION: These new recommendations, close to French practices, help clinicians to find the right time for referral of patients to transplantation centers. This is crucial for the prognosis of lung transplantation.

[Thoracic nocardiasis associated with macrophage activation syndrome]. / Nocardiose thoracique associée à un syndrome d'activation macrophagique.

Nocardiasis is an uncommon bacterial disease often observed in immunodepressed patients. Its interactions with the immune system remain poorly known. We report a case of Nocardia asteroides thoracic nocaridiasis in an African subject who also had macrophage activation syndrome. We recall the classic data on nocardiasis in Africa and emphasize the importance of emergence in HIV-infected subjects. The association between nocardiasis and macrophage activation syndrome suggest a possible pathogenic mechanism involving the immune system (lymphocytes and macrophages) and Nocardia asteroides.

[In the course of diving.... Barotrauma-induced pneumatocele]. / Dans les suites d'une plongée.... Pneumatocèle baro-traumatique.

We report the case of a scuba accident which provoked a pneumatocele. Initially hemorrhagic leakage filled the pseudocyst. The long term outcome was spontaneously favorable.

[Food intake and biochemical variables: overall nutrition and metabolic status of a group of non-institutionalized elderly in Venezuela]. / Consumo de alimentos y variables bioquímicas: reflejo del estado metabólico y nutricional en un grupo de adultos mayores de vida libre en Venezuela.

To evaluate the quality of life, and to establish local reference standards, the nutritional and metabolic status were assessed in two-hundred-eleven non-institutionalized adults divided in two groups: the experimental (> or = 60 years old), and the control (< 60 years old). The anthropometric nutritional status was assessed with the Quetelet Index with no significant differences between the age groups. The 24-hour recall method in the dietetic evaluation showed a high lipid and protein diet, which is characteristic of the region. The diet is deficient in energy, carbohydrates, fiber, copper, and zinc. Biochemical determinations of zinc, copper, total protein, albumin, alkaline phosphatase, triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, glucose, and insulin, were performed on 12-hours fasting subjects without significant (p < 0.05) age-based differences, except albumin levels, which reflects overall protein status. On the other hand, albumin, trygliceride, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and copper levels showed sex-based and age-sex-based significant differences (p < 0.05). Similar studies should be made on institutionalized or free-living individuals, from different socioeconomic levels and a nutritional status assessed by anthropometric measures, body composition, and food intake.

[Indications and results of Sonocare (ultrasound) in the treatment of ocular hypertension. A preliminary study of 395 cases]. / Indications et résultats du Sonocare (ultrasons) dans le traitement des hypertonies oculaires. Etude préliminaire sur 395 cas.

The Sonocare system CST 100 provides high-intensity focused ultrasound to lower the intraocular pressure by three different mechanisms: partial destruction of the ciliary epithelium, scleral thinning allowing transcleral outflow of aqueous humor, and mainly the ciliary body separation from the sclera. Initially it was used to treat blind eyes with painful elevated intraocular pressure; now the indications are gradually extended to eyes with good vision. This technique takes place between laser trabeculoplasty and filtering surgery. The first 395 cases which were treated with ultrasound these two last years in the Quinze-Vingts Hospital, are displayed in this report.

[A case of tuberculoma of the orbit with sphenoidal origin]. / A propos d'un cas de tuberculome de l'orbite à point de départ sphénoïdal.

We report the case of an orbital and sphenoidal tuberculosis observed in a young Indian man living in France. The orbital disease is presenting as an orbital mass with a radiologic bony lytic aspect, without systemic manifestation. A malignant process was suspected. The diagnosis was obtained by the culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis of the biopsy specimen. Orbital involvement in tuberculosis is a rare manifestation in developed countries. Most cases reported in the literature were reported from Asia and Africa. Orbital tuberculosis may become established in one of two ways: primarily by heamatogenous spread to cause a periostitis or a tuberculoma of the orbital tissues, or secondarily by direct extension from neighbouring structures. It occurs in patients with or without associated pulmonary tuberculosis. Mycobacterium tuberculosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of inflammatory orbital diseases. This diagnosis is based on clinical feature, positive tuberculin skin test and positive culture in resected tissues. The complete resolution of the disease with the specific antituberculous drugs emphasizes the point that tuberculosis must be evocated.