Infection With Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Independently Predicted Antibody-Mediated Rejection After Lung Transplantation, Study Finds

MedPage Today (2/5, Phend) reports, “After lung transplantation, infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa independently predicted antibody-mediated rejection (AMR), researchers found.” In the study, “individuals found to carry the bacteria after receiving a new lung had a more than four-fold increased risk of developing definite AMR...and nearly three-fold elevated risk of probable AMR.” The researchers found, “after adjusting for diagnosis of cystic fibrosis and multiple other factors, the risk remained doubled with isolation of P. aeruginosa in respiratory specimens.” Meanwhile, “isolation of other common respiratory bacteria, including Aspergillus, Gram-positive cocci, and non-Pseudomonas Gram-negative bacilli, or community-acquired respiratory virus was not associated with increased AMR risk.” The findings were published in Science Translational Medicine.