Antifibrotics and lung transplantation: A Spanish multicentre case-controlled study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Antifibrotic drugs are the standard treatments for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). This study aims to assess the safety of antifibrotic treatment in IPF patients undergoing lung transplantation. METHODS: Patients with a diagnosis of IPF who received a lung transplant between January 2015 and June 2019 at four Spanish hospitals specialized in lung transplantation were retrospectively recruited. Cases were defined as patients receiving antifibrotic treatments at time of transplant. Each case was matched with a control who did not receive antifibrotic treatment. RESULTS: A total of 164 patients were included in the study cohort (103 cases and 61 controls). There were no statistically significant differences between the cases and controls in any of the items studied related to transplantation except the time until the appearance of chest wall dehiscence: although there were no differences in the incidence of wall dehiscence in either group (12.3% vs. 13.7%; p = 0.318), the patients on antifibrotic drugs experienced it earlier (21 days [IQR = 12.5-41.5] vs. 63 days [IQR = 46.75-152.25]; p = 0.012). There were no differences in overall post-transplant survival between the two groups (p = 0.698) or in conditional survival at 30 days, 90 days, 3 years or 5 years. However, 1 year survival was significantly greater among controls (80.6% vs. 93.3%; p = 0.028). CONCLUSION: There was evidence that chest wall dehiscences appeared earlier post-transplant in patients using antifibrotics, even though this factor did not significantly impact survival.

Peripheral blood eosinophilia as a marker of acute cellular rejection in lung transplant recipients.

Previous studies in solid organ transplantation have shown a relationship between circulating eosinophil (EOS) counts and the presence of acute cellular rejection (ACR). However, the relationship between this potential biomarker and ACR in lung transplant (LTx) patients remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between EOS and the presence of acute cellular rejection in lung transplant recipients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective study of 583 transbronchial biopsies (TBB) performed in 256 lung transplant patients between 2012 and 2018. We analyzed age, sex, underlying pathology, date of transplant, indications for TBB, presence and degree of ACR, and the simultaneous absolute and relative EOS. RESULTS: ACR were observed in 170 of 583 TBB (29.2%). EOS in patients with ACR were higher than in patients without ACR (203.6 ± 248/mm3 vs 103.1 ± 153/mm3; p < 0.001). High levels of both absolute and relative EOS were associated with the presence of ACR regardless of the underlying disease (odds ratio [OR] 1.003; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.002-1.004; OR 1.226; 95% CI, 1.120-1.342) and time after transplant (OR 1.003; 95% CI, 1.002-1.004 and OR 1.239; 95% CI, 1.132-1.356). Moreover, both absolute and relative EOS were strongly associated with moderate and severe grades of ACR (OR 3.55; 95% CI, 3.00-4.10 and OR 3.56; 95% CI, 3.00-4.12). CONCLUSIONS: EOS are elevated in ACR, especially in moderate or severe ACR. Increased vigilance for ACR is therefore advisable in lung transplant recipients with elevated EOS.

Nódulos pulmonares cavitados con relación a la enfermedad por depósito de IgG4 / Cavitary Lung Nodules Associated with IgG4-Deposition Disease

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