Chronic lung allograft dysfunction: light at the end of the tunnel?

Chronic lung allograft dysfunction: light at the end of the tunnel? Curr Opin Organ Transplant. 2019 Jun;24(3):318-323 Authors: Verleden SE, Vos R, Verleden GM Abstract PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) has been recently introduced as an umbrella-term encompassing all forms of chronic pulmonary function decline posttransplant with bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome and restrictive allograft syndrome as the most important subtypes. Differential diagnosis and management, however, remains complicated. RECENT FINDINGS: Herein, we provide an overview of the different diagnostic criteria (pulmonary function, body plethysmography and radiology) used to differentiate bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome and restrictive allograft syndrome, their advantages and disadvantages as well as potential problems in making an accurate differential diagnosis. Furthermore, we discuss recent insights in CLAD management and treatment and advances in the search for accurate biomarkers of CLAD. SUMMARY: Careful dissection of CLAD phenotypes is of utmost importance to assess patient prognosis, but uniform diagnostic criteria are desperately needed. There is a long way ahead, but the first steps towards this goal are now taken; tailored individualized therapy will be the golden standard to treat CLAD in the future, but randomized placebo-controlled and multicentre trials are needed to identify new and powerful therapeutic...
Source: Current Opinion in Organ Transplantation - Category: Transplant Surgery Authors: Tags: Curr Opin Organ Transplant Source Type: research