Abstract
Background The leading cause of early mortality after lung transplantation is primary graft dysfunction (PGD). The inflammation seems to play a central role in PGD development.
Aims and objectives To find out whether lungs metabolic activity was related to PGD development.
Methods We designed a prospective observational study in which patients who underwent lung transplantation performed a CT-PET study within 1 week after surgery. We measured the lungs metabolic activity and the inflation status.
Results Twenty-four patients were enrolled: 10 after double- and 14 after single-lung transplantation. Within 5[4-6] days after lung transplantation, the grafts showed a [18F]FDG uptake rate (mLblood/mLtissue/min) of 26[18-33]*10-4 (reference values 11[7-15]*10-4)1. The [18F]FDG uptake rate was inversely related to the time elapsed from surgery (R2=0.28, p=0.001).
Nine patients developed PGD. The grafts of patients who developed PGD showed: similar [18F]FDG uptake rate (28[18-26]*10-4 vs 26[22-31]*10-4, p=0.79), higher not-inflated (28[20-38]% vs 14[7-21]%, p=0.01) and lower well-inflated tissue fraction (29[25-41]% vs 53[39-65]%, p<0.01) than grafts of patients who did not.
Conclusions As all the grafts showed increased [18F]FDG uptake rate, independently on PGD, the hydrostatic component more than inflammation could play a role in its development.
Reference 1. Bellani G. et al, Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2011; 183: 1193–9.
- Copyright ©the authors 2016