Background.Early detection of acute cellular rejection (ACR) is vital for improving long-term outcomes in lung transplant recipients (LTRs).Transbronchial biopsies are the gold standard for diagnosing ACR, but bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) offers a less invasive alternative for early detection.This study examines the cytological and microbiological features of BAL, its correlation with ACR diagnosed via transbronchial cryobiopsy, and compares the effectiveness of pathology and hematology methods in analyzing BAL samples.Additionally, it assesses the value of mucosal biopsies for ACR detection. Methods. Transbronchial biopsies and corresponding BALs from January 2020 toMarch 2024 were analyzed retrospectively.ACR was diagnosed using cryobiopsy according to ISHLT histopathological criteria.Associations between BAL parameters and ACR were assessed using mixed-effects analysis.Results.Among 240 procedures from 143 LTR, 17.9% were diagnosed with ACR.Microbiological findings and mucosal biopsy analyses were not associated with ACR.
Steinack et al. (Wed,) studied this question.
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