National Evaluation of Patient Preferences in Selecting Hospitals and Health Care Providers.

BACKGROUND: Patient utilization of public reporting has been suboptimal despite attempts to encourage use. Lack of utilization may be due to discordance between reported metrics and what patients want to know when making health care choices. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to identify measures of quality that individuals want to be presented in public reporting and explore factors associated with researching health care. RESEARCH DESIGN: Patient interviews and focus groups were conducted to develop a survey exploring the relative importance of various health care measures. SUBJECTS: Interviews and focus groups conducted at local outpatient clinics. A survey administered nationally on an anonymous digital platform. MEASURES: Likert scale responses were compared using tests of central tendency. Rank-order responses were compared using analysis of variance testing. Associations with binary outcomes were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Overall, 4672 responses were received (42.0% response rate). Census balancing yielded 2004 surveys for analysis. Measures identified as most important were hospital reputation (considered important by 61.9%), physician experience (51.5%), and primary care recommendations (43.2%). Unimportant factors included guideline adherence (17.6%) and hospital academic affiliation (13.3%, P<0.001 for all compared with most important factors). Morbidity and mortality outcome measures were not among the most important factors. Patients were unlikely to rank outcome measures as the most important factors in choosing health care providers, irrespective of age, sex, educational status, or income. CONCLUSIONS: Patients valued hospital reputation, physician experience, and primary care recommendations while publicly reported metrics like patient outcomes were less important. Public quality reports contain information that patients perceive to be of relatively low value, which may contribute to low utilization.

Assessment of hospital-level adjusted breast cancer sentinel lymph node positivity rates.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Proficiency of performing sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for breast cancer varies among hospitals and may be reflected in the hospital's SLNB positivity rate. Our objectives were to examine whether hospital characteristics are associated with variation in SLNB positivity rates and whether hospitals with lower-than-expected SLNB positivity rates have worse patient survival. METHODS: Using the National Cancer Data Base, stage I to III breast cancer patients were identified (2004-2012). Hospital-level SLNB positivity rates were adjusted for tumor and patient factors. Hospitals were divided into terciles of SLNB positivity rates (lower-, higher-, as-expected). Hospital characteristics and survival were examined across terciles. RESULTS: Of 438 610 SLNB patients (from 1357 hospitals), 78 104 had one or more positive SLN (21.3%). Hospitals in the low and high terciles were more likely to be low volume (low: RRR, 4.40; 95% CI, 2.89-6.57; P < 0.001; and high: RRR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.21-2.64; P < 0.001) compared to hospitals with as-expected (middle tercile) SLNB positivity rates. Stage I patients at low- and high-tercile hospitals had statistically worse survival. CONCLUSIONS: There is a wide variation in hospital SLNB positivity rates. Hospitals with lower- or higher-than-expected SLNB positivity rates were associated with survival differences. Hospital SLNB positivity rates may be a novel 'process measure' to report to hospitals for internal quality assessment.

Adjusted Hospital Sentinel Lymph Node Positivity Rates in Melanoma: A Novel Potential Measure of Quality.

OBJECTIVE: Our objectives were to examine whether hospital characteristics are associated with lower- and higher-than-expected sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) positivity rates and whether hospitals with lower- or higher-than-expected SLNB positivity rates have worse patient outcomes. BACKGROUND: Surgeon and pathologist SLNB technical errors may lead to incorrect melanoma staging. A hospital's SLNB positivity rate may reflect its SLNB proficiency for melanoma, but this has never been investigated. METHODS: Stage IA-III melanoma patients undergoing SLNB were identified from the National Cancer Data Base (2004-2010). Hospital-level SLNB positivity rates were adjusted for patient- and tumor factors. Hospitals were divided into terciles of adjusted SLNB positivity rates. Hospital characteristics (using multinomial logistic regression) and survival (using Cox modeling) were examined across terciles. RESULTS: Of 33,639 SLNB patients (from 646 hospitals), 2916 (8.7%) had at least 1 positive lymph node. Hospitals with lower- (low tercile) and higher-than-expected (high tercile) SLNB positivity rates were more likely to be low-volume hospitals (low tercile: relative risk ratio (RRR) = 2.57, P = 0.002; high tercile: RRR = 2.3, P = 0.004) compared to hospitals with expected rates (middle tercile). Stage I patients treated at lower-than-expected SLNB positivity rate hospitals had worse 5-year survival than those treated at expected SLNB positivity rate hospitals (90.0% vs 91.9%, P = 0.014; hazard ratio = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.05-1.57); survival differences were not observed by SLNB positivity rates for stage II/III. CONCLUSIONS: Adjusted hospital SLNB positivity rates varied widely. Surgery at hospitals with lower-than-expected SLNB positivity rates was associated with decreased survival. Hospital SLNB positivity rates may be a novel measure to confidentially report to hospitals for internal quality assessment.

Development of a Novel Composite Process Measure for Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) is important clinically, and VTE quality metrics are used in public reporting and pay-for-performance programs. However, current VTE outcome measures are not valid due to surveillance bias, and the Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP-VTE-2) process measure only requires prophylaxis within 24 hours of surgery. OBJECTIVES: We sought to (1) develop a novel measure of VTE prophylaxis that requires early ambulation, mechanical prophylaxis, and chemoprophylaxis throughout the hospitalization, and (2) compare hospital performance on the SCIP-VTE-2 process measure to this novel measure. RESEARCH DESIGN: A new composite measure of ambulation, sequential compression device (SCD), and chemoprophylaxis component measures was developed. The ambulation component required daily ambulation, the SCD component required documentation of continuous use, and the chemoprophylaxis component required patient-appropriate and medication-appropriate dosing and administration. Requirements could also be met with component-specific exceptions. Surgical patients at an academic center from 2012 to 2013 were assessed for SCIP-VTE-2 and composite measure adherence. RESULTS: Of 786 patients, 589 (74.9%) passed the ambulation measure, 494 (62.8%) passed the SCD measure, and 678 (86.3%) passed the chemoprophylaxis measure. A total of 268 (91.8%) SCD failures and 46 (42.6%) chemoprophylaxis failures were ordered but not administered. When comparing the 2 measures, 784 (99.7%) passed SCIP-VTE-2, whereas only 364 (46.3%) passed the composite measure (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This new measure incorporates the critical aspects of VTE prevention to ensure defect-free care. After additional evaluation, this composite VTE prophylaxis measure with appropriate exclusion criteria may be a better alternative to existing VTE process and outcome measures.

Approaches to answering critical CER questions.

While randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the gold standard for research, many research questions cannot be ethically and practically answered using an RCT. Comparative effectiveness research (CER) techniques are often better suited than RCTs to address the effects of an intervention under routine care conditions, an outcome otherwise known as effectiveness. CER research techniques covered in this section include: effectiveness-oriented experimental studies such as pragmatic trials and cluster randomized trials, treatment response heterogeneity, observational and database studies including adjustment techniques such as sensitivity analysis and propensity score analysis, systematic reviews and meta-analysis, decision analysis, and cost effectiveness analysis. Each section describes the technique and covers the strengths and weaknesses of the approach.

Perineal sigmoidopexy utilizing transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) to treat full thickness rectal prolapse: a feasibility trial in porcine and human cadaver models.

BACKGROUND: Perineal approaches for rectal prolapse repair have low complication rates but high recurrence rates, while abdominal approaches that include sigmoidopexy have lower recurrence rates but higher complication rates. To optimize both recurrence and complication rates, we developed a novel procedure that uses transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) to perform a sigmoidopexy via a perineal approach. METHODS: We created a rectal prolapse model in six swine and two human cadavers using a previously published technique. The rectum was mobilized and eviscerated transanally. After marking the planned point of sigmoid transection, the rectum was returned to the peritoneal cavity. A TEM proctoscope was inserted transanally alongside the rectum, and the lateral sigmoid colon walls were sutured to the sacrum. The sigmoid colon was then transected where previously planned, and a primary sigmoid anastomosis was performed. Total operative time, sigmoidopexy operative time, and suture security were measured and compared to standard rectosigmoidectomy and abdominal sigmoidopexy times. RESULTS: No sigmoid colon, iliac vessel, bladder, or ureteral injuries occurred. At least two sigmoidopexy sutures were secure on inspection in all animals and human cadavers, with increasing success of secure suture placement as experience increased. Operative length was similar to traditional abdominal sigmoidopexy. CONCLUSIONS: TEM sigmoidopexy is technically feasible. This approach has the potential to reduce the recurrence rate associated with perineal approaches alone, but further study is needed to confirm this hypothesis.

Hospital Characteristics Associated With Penalties in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program.

IMPORTANCE: In fiscal year (FY) 2015, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) instituted the Hospital-Acquired Condition (HAC) Reduction Program, which reduces payments to the lowest-performing hospitals. However, it is uncertain whether this program accurately measures quality and fairly penalizes hospitals. OBJECTIVE: To examine the characteristics of hospitals penalized by the HAC Reduction Program and to evaluate the association of a summary score of hospital characteristics related to quality with penalization in the HAC program. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Data for hospitals participating in the FY2015 HAC Reduction Program were obtained from CMS' Hospital Compare and merged with the 2014 American Hospital Association Annual Survey and FY2015 Medicare Impact File. Logistic regression models were developed to examine the association between hospital characteristics and HAC program penalization. An 8-point hospital quality summary score was created using hospital characteristics related to volume, accreditations, and offering of advanced care services. The relationship between the hospital quality summary score and HAC program penalization was examined. Publicly reported process-of-care and outcome measures were examined from 4 clinical areas (surgery, acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, pneumonia), and their association with the hospital quality summary score was evaluated. EXPOSURES: Penalization in the HAC Reduction Program. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Hospital characteristics associated with penalization. RESULTS: Of the 3284 hospitals participating in the HAC program, 721 (22.0%) were penalized. Hospitals were more likely to be penalized if they were accredited by the Joint Commission (24.0% accredited, 14.4% not accredited; odds ratio [OR], 1.33; 95% CI, 1.04-1.70); they were major teaching hospitals (42.3%; OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.09-2.29) or very major teaching hospitals (62.2%; OR, 2.61; 95% CI, 1.55-4.39; vs nonteaching hospitals, 17.0%); they cared for more complex patient populations based on case mix index (quartile 4 vs quartile 1: 32.8% vs 12.1%; OR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.44-2.71); or they were safety-net hospitals vs non-safety-net hospitals (28.3% vs 19.9%; OR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.11-1.68). Hospitals with higher hospital quality summary scores had significantly better performance on 9 of 10 publicly reported process and outcomes measures compared with hospitals that had lower quality scores (all P ≤ .01 for trend). However, hospitals with the highest quality score of 8 were penalized significantly more frequently than hospitals with the lowest quality score of 0 (67.3% [37/55] vs 12.6% [53/422]; P < .001 for trend). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Among hospitals participating in the HAC Reduction Program, hospitals that were penalized more frequently had more quality accreditations, offered advanced services, were major teaching institutions, and had better performance on other process and outcome measures. These paradoxical findings suggest that the approach for assessing hospital penalties in the HAC Reduction Program merits reconsideration to ensure it is achieving the intended goals.

Role of C-C motif ligand 2 and C-C motif receptor 2 in murine pulmonary graft-versus-host disease after lipopolysaccharide inhalations.

Environmental exposures are a potential trigger of chronic pulmonary graft-versus-host disease (pGVHD) after successful recovery from hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT). We hypothesized that inhalations of LPS, a prototypic environmental stimulus, trigger pGVHD via increased pulmonary recruitment of donor-derived antigen-presenting cells (APCs) through the C-C motif ligand 2 (CCL2)-C-C motif receptor 2 (CCR2) chemokine axis. B10.BR(H2(k)) and C57BL/6(H2(b)) mice underwent allogeneic (Allo) or syngeneic (Syn) HCT with wild-type (WT) C57BL/6, CCL2(-/-), or CCR2(-/-) donors. After 4 weeks, recipient mice received daily inhaled LPS for 5 days and were killed at multiple time points. Allo mice exposed to repeated inhaled LPS developed prominent lymphocytic bronchiolitis, similar to human pGVHD. The increase in pulmonary T cells in Allo mice after LPS exposures was accompanied by increased CCL2, CCR2, and Type-1 T-helper cytokines as well as by monocytes and monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDCs) compared with Syn and nontransplanted controls. Using CCL2(-/-) donors leads to a significant decrease in lung DCs but to only mildly reduced CD4 T cells. Using CCR2(-/-) donors significantly reduces lung DCs and moDCs but does not change T cells. CCL2 or CCR2 deficiency does not alter pGVHD pathology but increases airway hyperreactivity and IL-5 or IL-13 cytokines. Our results show that hematopoietic donor-derived CCL2 and CCR2 regulate recruitment of APCs to the Allo lung after LPS exposure. Although they do not alter pathologic pGVHD, their absence is associated with increased airway hyperreactivity and IL-5 and IL-13 cytokines. These results suggest that the APC changes that result from CCL2-CCR2 blockade may have unexpected effects on T cell differentiation and physiologic outcomes in HCT.

Association between hospital imaging use and venous thromboembolism events rates based on clinical data.

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to assess the presence and extent of venous thromboembolic (VTE) surveillance bias using high-quality clinical data. BACKGROUND: Hospital VTE rates are publicly reported and used in pay-for-performance programs. Prior work suggested surveillance bias: hospitals that look more for VTE with imaging studies find more VTE, thereby incorrectly seem to have worse performance. However, these results have been questioned as the risk adjustment and VTE measurement relied on administrative data. METHODS: Data (2009-2010) from 208 hospitals were available for analysis. Hospitals were divided into quartiles according to VTE imaging use rates (Medicare claims). Observed and risk-adjusted postoperative VTE event rates (regression models using American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Project data) were examined across VTE imaging use rate quartiles. Multivariable linear regression models were developed to assess the impact of hospital characteristics (American Hospital Association) and hospital imaging use rates on VTE event rates. RESULTS: The mean risk-adjusted VTE event rates at 30 days after surgery increased across VTE imaging use rate quartiles: 1.13% in the lowest quartile to 1.92% in the highest quartile (P < 0.001). This statistically significant trend remained when examining only the inpatient period. Hospital VTE imaging use rate was the dominant driver of hospital VTE event rates (P < 0.001), as no other hospital characteristics had significant associations. CONCLUSIONS: Even when examined with clinically ascertained outcomes and detailed risk adjustment, VTE rates reflect hospital imaging use and perhaps signify vigilant, high-quality care. The VTE outcome measure may not be an accurate quality indicator and should likely not be used in public reporting or pay-for-performance programs.

Risk prediction tools in surgical oncology.

Healthcare has increasingly focused on patient engagement and shared decision-making. Decision aids can promote engagement and shared decision making by providing patients and their providers with care options and outcomes. This article discusses decision aids for surgical oncology patients. Topics include: short-term risk prediction following surgery, long-term risk prediction of survival and recurrence, the combination of short- and long-term risk prediction to help guide treatment choice, and decision aid usability, transparency, and accessibility.

Examination of national lymph node evaluation practices for adult extremity soft tissue sarcoma.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Lymph node evaluation recommendations for extremity soft tissue sarcoma (ESTS) are absent from national guidelines. Our objectives were (1) to assess rates and predictors of nodal evaluation, and (2) to assess rates and predictors of nodal metastases. METHODS: ESTS patients from the National Cancer Data Base (2000-2009) were assessed, and regression models were used to identify factors associated with nodal evaluation and metastases. RESULTS: Of 27,536 ESTS patients, 1,924 (7%) underwent nodal evaluation, and of these, 290 (15%) had nodal metastases. Nodal evaluation was most frequently performed for rhabdomyosarcoma (15.6%), angiosarcoma (10.0%), clear cell sarcoma (39.3%), epithelioid sarcoma (28.1%), and synovial sarcoma (9.3%). On multivariable analysis, factors associated with nodal evaluation included histologic subtype, tumor size, and grade. Nodal metastasis rates were highest among patients with rhabdomyosarcoma (32.1%), angiosarcoma (24.1%), clear cell sarcoma (27.7%), and epithelioid sarcoma (31.8%). On multivariable analysis, factors associated with nodal metastases included histologic subtype, tumor size, and grade. CONCLUSIONS: Nodal evaluation rates are highest among certain expected subtypes but are generally low. However, nodal metastasis rates for many histologic subtypes in patients selected for lymph node evaluation may be higher than previously reported. Multi-institutional studies should address nodal evaluation for ESTS.

Evaluation of hospital factors associated with hospital postoperative venous thromboembolism imaging utilisation practices.

BACKGROUND: Recent research suggests that hospital rates of postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) are subject to surveillance bias: the more hospitals 'look for' VTE, the more VTE they find. However, little is known about what drives variation in hospital VTE imaging rates. We conducted an observational study to examine hospital and market characteristics that were associated with hospital-level rates of postoperative VTE imaging, focusing on hospitals with particularly high rates. METHODS: For Medicare beneficiaries undergoing 11 major operations (2009-2010) at 2820 hospitals, hospital-level postoperative VTE imaging use rates were calculated. Hospital characteristics associated with hospital VTE imaging use rates were examined including case severity, size, ownership, VTE process measure adherence, accreditations, staffing, malpractice environment, and county market factors. Associations between explanatory variables and VTE imaging rates were assessed using quantile regressions at the 25th, median, 75th and 90th quantiles. RESULTS: Mean postoperative VTE imaging rates ranged from 85.26 (SD=67.38) per 1000 discharges in the lowest quartile of hospitals ranked by VTE imaging rates to 168.86 (SD=76.70) in the highest quartile. Drivers of high imaging rates at the 90th quantile were high resident-to-bed ratio (coefficient=51.35, p<0.01), Joint Commission accreditation (coefficient=19.05, p<0.01), presence of other hospitals in the same market with high imaging rates (coefficient=15.29, p<0.01), average case severity (coefficient=11.97, p<0.01), local malpractice costs (coefficient=11.29, p<0.01), and market competition (coefficient=11.03, p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Hospital teaching status, resident-to-bed ratio, malpractice environment and local market factors drive hospital postoperative VTE imaging use, suggesting that non-clinical forces predominantly drive hospital VTE imaging practices.

Allogeneic splenocyte transfer and lipopolysaccharide inhalations induce differential T cell expansion and lung injury: a novel model of pulmonary graft-versus-host disease.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary GVHD (pGVHD) is an important complication of hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) and is thought to be a consequence of the HCT conditioning regimen, allogeneic donor cells, and posttransplant lung exposures. We have previously demonstrated that serial inhaled lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposures potentiate the development of pGVHD after murine allogeneic HCT. In the current study we hypothesized that allogeneic lymphocytes and environmental exposures alone, in the absence of a pre-conditioning regimen, would cause features of pGVHD and would lead to a different T cell expansion pattern compared to syngeneic cells. METHODS: Recipient Rag1-/- mice received a transfer of allogeneic (Allo) or syngeneic (Syn) spleen cells. After 1 week of immune reconstitution, mice received 5 daily inhaled LPS exposures and were sacrificed 72 hours after the last LPS exposure. Lung physiology, histology, and protein levels in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) were assessed. Lung cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Both Allo and Syn mice that undergo LPS exposures (AlloLPS and SynLPS) have prominent lymphocytic inflammation in their lungs, resembling pGVHD pathology, not seen in LPS-unexposed or non-transplanted controls. Compared to SynLPS, however, AlloLPS have significantly increased levels of BAL protein and enhancement of airway hyperreactivity, consistent with more severe lung injury. This injury in AlloLPS mice is associated with an increase in CD8 T cells and effector CD4 T cells, as well as a decrease in regulatory to effector CD4 T cell ratio. Additionally, cytokine analysis is consistent with a preferential Th1 differentiation and upregulation of pulmonary CCL5 and granzyme B. CONCLUSIONS: Allogeneic lymphocyte transfer into lymphocyte-deficient mice, followed by LPS exposures, causes features of pGVHD and lung injury in the absence of a pre-conditioning HCT regimen. This lung disease associated with an expansion of allogeneic effector T cells provides a novel model to dissect mechanisms of pGVHD independent of conditioning.

Comparison of postoperative complication risk prediction approaches based on factors known preoperatively to surgeons versus patients.

BACKGROUND: Estimating the risk of postoperative complications can be performed by surgeons with detailed clinical information or by patients with limited information. Our objective was to compare three estimation models: (1) the All Information Model, using variables available from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP); (2) the Surgeon Assessment Model, using variables available to surgeons preoperatively, and (3) the Patient-Entered Model, using information that patients know about their own health. STUDY DESIGN: Using the ACS NSQIP 2011 data for general and colon surgery, standard ACS NSQIP regression methods were used to develop models. Each model examined Overall and Serious Morbidity as outcomes. The models were assessed using the c-statistic, Hosmer-Lemshow statistic, and Akaike Information Criterion. RESULTS: The overall morbidity rate was 13.0%, and the serious morbidity rate was 10.5% for patients undergoing general surgery (colon surgery: 31.8% and 26.0%, respectively). There was a small decrement in the c-statistic as the number of predictors decreased. The Akaike Information Criterion likelihood ratio increased between the All Information and Surgeon Assessment models, but decreased in the Patient-Entered Model. The Hosmer-Lemshow statistic suggested good model fit for five colon surgery models and one general surgery model. CONCLUSION: Although a small decline in model performance was observed, the magnitude suggests that it may not be clinically meaningful as the risk predictions offered are superior to simply providing unadjusted complications rates. The Surgeon Assessment and Patient-Entered models with fewer predictors can be used with relative confidence to predict a patient's risk.

Innate immune activation by the viral PAMP poly I:C potentiates pulmonary graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant.

Respiratory viral infections cause significant morbidity and increase the risk for chronic pulmonary graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Our overall hypothesis is that local innate immune activation potentiates adaptive alloimmunity. In this study, we hypothesized that a viral pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) alone can potentiate pulmonary GVHD after allogeneic HCT. We, therefore, examined the effect of pulmonary exposure to polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C), a viral mimetic that activates innate immunity, in an established murine HCT model. Poly I:C-induced a marked pulmonary T cell response in allogeneic HCT mice as compared to syngeneic HCT, with increased CD4+ cells in the lung fluid and tissue. This lymphocytic inflammation persisted at 2 weeks post poly I:C exposure in allogeneic mice and was associated with CD3+ cell infiltration into the bronchiolar epithelium and features of epithelial injury. In vitro, poly I:C enhanced allospecific proliferation in a mixed lymphocyte reaction. In vivo, poly I:C exposure was associated with an early increase in pulmonary monocyte recruitment and activation as well as a decrease in CD4+FOXP3+ regulatory T cells in allogeneic mice as compared to syngeneic. In contrast, intrapulmonary poly I:C did not alter the extent of systemic GVHD in either syngeneic or allogeneic mice. Collectively, our results suggest that local activation of pulmonary innate immunity by a viral molecular pattern represents a novel pathway that contributes to pulmonary GVHD after allogeneic HCT, through a mechanism that includes increased recruitment and maturation of intrapulmonary monocytes.

Innate immune activation potentiates alloimmune lung disease independent of chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 3.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) and allograft rejection after lung transplant are parallel immunologic processes that lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Our murine model of pulmonary GVHD after inhaled lipopolysaccharide (LPS) suggests that innate immune activation potentiates pulmonary transplant-related alloimmunity. We hypothesized that the chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 3 (CXCR3) receptor is necessary for the development of LPS-induced pulmonary GVHD. METHODS: Recipient mice underwent allogeneic or syngeneic HCT, followed by inhaled LPS. CXCR3 inhibition was performed by using CXCR3-knockout donors or by systemic anti-CXCR3 antibody blockade. Pulmonary histopathology, cellular sub-populations, cytokine proteins, and transcripts were analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with the lungs of LPS-unexposed and syngeneic controls, lungs of LPS-exposed allogeneic HCT mice demonstrated prominent lymphocytic peri-vascular and peri-bronchiolar infiltrates. This pathology was associated with increased CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells as well as an increase in CXCR3 expression on T cells, a 2-fold upregulation of CXCR3 transcript, and a 4-fold increase in its ligand CXCL10/Interferon gamma-induced protein 10 kDa (IP-10). CXCR3 inhibition using gene-knockout strategy or antibody blockade did not change the severity of pulmonary pathology, with a mean pathology score of 6.5 for sufficient vs 6.5 for knockout (p = 1.00) and a mean score of 6.8 for antibody blockade vs 7.4 for control (p = 0.46). CXCR3 inhibition did not prevent CD3 infiltration or prevent production of interleukin-12p40 or significantly change other Th1, Th2, or Th17 cytokines in the lung. CONCLUSIONS: In the setting of allogeneic HCT, innate immune activation by LPS potentiates pulmonary GVHD through CXCR3-independent mechanisms. Clinical strategies focused on inhibition of CXCR3 may prove insufficient to ameliorate transplant-related lung disease.