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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
Development of Obliterative Bronchiolitis in a Murine Model of Orthotopic Lung Transplantation
Published on: July 10, 2012
Diagnostic properties of transbronchial biopsy in lung transplant recipients who require mechanical ventilation
K E A Burns1, B A Johnson, A T Iacono
1Division of Pulmonary Transplantation, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center-Presbyterian Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA.
Introduction:
Bronchoscopy with transbronchial biopsy (TBBx) and bronchoalveolar lavage is useful and safe for diagnosing acute rejection and infection in lung transplant recipients. However, its role is less well defined in determining the etiology of allograft dysfunction in the setting of respiratory failure necessitating mechanical ventilation.
Methods:
We retrospectively identified 41 mechanically ventilated patients with respiratory failure in whom 42 TBBx were followed within a 10 day period by surgical lung biopsy (SLBx) to determine the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of TBBx compared with SLBx.
Results:
The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of TBBx for all episodes of acute rejection and for significant episodes of acute cellular rejection were 53.3% and 36.0%; 91.7% and 94.1%; 94.1% and 90.0%; 44.0% and 50.0%, respectively. A significantly higher histologic grade was noted on SLBx compared with TBBx specimens obtained within a 10-day period (2.39 +/- 1.02 vs 0.97 +/- 0.11, p
Conclusions:
Transbronchial biopsy has low sensitivity, high specificity, and high positive predictive value for diagnosing acute rejection. We found a significant tendency for TBBx to underestimate the presence and severity of clinically significant grades of rejection while simultaneously overestimating the presence of clinically insignificant rejection. Adding SLBx is valuable in lung transplant recipients with respiratory failure who require mechanical ventilation.
