Usefulness of a systematic approach at listing for vaccine prevention in solid organ transplant candidates.

Solid organ transplant (SOT) candidates may not be immune against potentially vaccine-preventable diseases because of insufficient immunizations and/or limited vaccine responses. We evaluated the impact on vaccine immunity at transplant of a systematic vaccinology workup at listing that included (1) pneumococcal with and without influenza immunization, (2) serology-based vaccine recommendations against measles, varicella, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis A virus, and tetanus, and (3) the documentation of vaccines and serology tests in a national electronic immunization registry (www.myvaccines.ch). Among 219 SOT candidates assessed between January 2014 and November 2015, 54 patients were transplanted during the study. Between listing and transplant, catch-up immunizations increased the patients' immunity from 70% to 87% (hepatitis A virus, P = .008), from 22% to 41% (hepatitis B virus, P = .008), from 77% to 91% (tetanus, P = .03), and from 78% to 98% (Streptococcus pneumoniae, P = .002). Their immunity at transplant was significantly higher against S. pneumoniae (P = .006) and slightly higher against hepatitis A virus (P = .07), but not against hepatitis B virus, than that of 65 SOT recipients transplanted in 2013. This demonstrates the value of a systematic multimodal serology-based approach of immunizations of SOT candidates at listing and the need for optimized strategies to increase their hepatitis B virus vaccine responses.

Perceived built environment, health-related quality of life and health care utilization.

Previous research has shown that the built environment plays a crucial role for health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and health care utilization. But, there is limited evidence on the independence of this association from lifestyle and social environment. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to investigate these associations, independent of the social environment, physical activity and body mass index (BMI). We used data from the third follow-up of the Swiss study on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart diseases In Adults (SAPALDIA), a population based cohort with associated biobank. Covariate adjusted multiple quantile and polytomous logistic regressions were performed to test associations of variables describing the perceived built environment with HRQoL and health care utilization. Higher HRQoL and less health care utilization were associated with less reported transportation noise annoyance. Higher HRQoL was also associated with greater satisfaction with the living environment and more perceived access to greenspaces. These results were independent of the social environment (living alone and social engagement) and lifestyle (physical activity level and BMI). This study provides further evidence that the built environment should be designed to integrate living and green spaces but separate living and traffic spaces in order to improve health and wellbeing and potentially save health care costs.

[Electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy for the assessment of peripheral lung nodules]. / Rencontre du "GPS" et du poumon: navigation electromagnétique pour le diagnostic des lésions pulmonaires.

Among recent technological progress, electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy (ENB), based on the principle of "GPS", allows the bronchoscopist to reach parenchymal lesions situated beyond the field of regular bronchoscopy. Compared to CT-scan guided transthoracic needle aspiration, the yield is lower (65%). However, the rate of complication (pneumothorax, hemorrhage) is significantly lower and the patient is not irradiated. Moreover, the yield remains stable also for cases associated to a lower yield of the transthoracic approach (small and/or deep and/or benign lesion). Beyond the diagnosis of peripheral lung nodules, ENB (alone or in combination with endobronchial ultrasound) is also an efficient and safe tool for disease staging by simultaneous (during the same procedure) sampling of associated hypermetabolic lymph nodes.

Low incidence of severe respiratory syncytial virus infections in lung transplant recipients despite the absence of specific therapy.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections in lung transplant recipients (LTRs) have been associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Immunoglobulins, ribavirin, and palivizumab are suggested treatments for both pre-emptive and therapeutic purposes. However, in the absence of randomized, placebo-controlled trials, efficacy is controversial and there is toxicity as well as cost concerns. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed cases of lower respiratory tract RSV infections in adult LTRs. Diagnosis was based on clinical history, combined with a positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and/or viral cultures of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens. RESULTS: Ten symptomatic patients were identified (7 men and 3 women, age range 28 to 64 years). All were hospitalized for community-acquired respiratory tract infections. Two patients had a concomitant acute Grade A3 graft rejection, and 1 patient had a concomitant bacterial pneumonia. Eight patients did not receive a specific anti-RSV treatment because of clinical stability and/or improvement at the time of RSV diagnosis. Only 2 patients (1 with Grade A3 allograft rejection and 1 requiring mechanical ventilation) received ribavirin and palivizumab. All patients recovered without complications and with no persistent RSV infection. However, bronchiolitis obliterans (BOS) staging worsened in 6 patients during the mean follow-up of 45 months. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that mild RSV infections in LTRs might evolve favorably in the absence of specific anti-viral therapy. However, this observation needs confirmation in a large clinical trial specifically investigating the development of BOS in untreated vs treated patients.

Neuroendocrine proliferation after lung transplantation.

There have been few reports of neuroendocrine proliferation and tumors developing after transplantation. We report the first two of such cases encountered after lung transplantation and review the literature on these rare tumors after solid-organ transplantation. In the general population, these are indolent and rare tumors, as opposed to neuroendocrine carcinoma, and their behavior is unknown in transplant recipients.