Signs of Aspiration on Lung Allograft Transbronchial Biopsy are Associated with Reflux, Airway Bile Acids, and Chronic Lung Allograft Dysfunction (CLAD)

Purpose: Microaspiration is an established risk factor for CLAD. However, there are limited clinically available tools to assess for microaspiration. While pH-impedance testing is the current gold-standard to measure reflux, it does not identify aspiration into the lungs. Although biomarkers of aspiration, such as airway bile acids, have been identified, they are not yet available for clinical use. Transbronchial biopsies (TBBx) are routinely used to monitor and detect acute rejection in lung transplant recipients (LTRs).
Source: The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation - Category: Transplant Surgery Authors: Source Type: research