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Female lung transplant recipients at greater risk of acute lung injury

25 May 2005 - Female lung transplant recipients are significantly more likely to suffer from a type of injury to the transplanted lung called primary graft dysfunction than male lung transplant patients, according to a study to be presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference on May 24.

The study found that female lung transplant recipients who received a lung from either a male or female donor were almost 60% more likely to suffer from primary graft dysfunction, compared with male recipients who received their lung from a male donor.

"There are a number of possible reasons why women are at increased risk," said lead researcher Catherine Kuntz, M.D., Pulmonary Fellow at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. "It may involve women's hormones or differences in their immune systems."

The study included data on all 7,482 adult lung transplants performed in the United States between 1994 and 2002. The researchers took into account factors such as the donor's age, race, cause of death, and the recipient's age, race and reason for lung transplant, as well as the size matching between the donor and recipient.

Overall, approximately 10% of transplant recipients suffered from primary graft dysfunction, which is an acute severe lung injury that occurs within the first 72 hours after the transplant and has a high mortality.

Once the lung is taken out of the donor, it is put on ice, and during this time, no blood flows through the organ. When the lung is transplanted into the recipient and all the blood vessels are reattached, injury to the lung may become apparent. Lung graft dysfunction is associated with a high death rate, prolonged hospital stay and other serious complications.

"We need further investigation into what it is about women that increases the risk," Dr. Kuntz said. "We need to look at factors such as whether the women have gone through menopause, and how many children they've had."

According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) there are currently 3,688 Americans waiting for a lung transplant for diseases including cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), primary pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary fibrosis.

Contact: Jim Augustine
619-525-6216
American Thoracic Society
http://www.thoracic.org

Little Jack has a double transplant

A LITTLE boy who was given just weeks to live as a baby is set to undergo a life-saving double transplant operation.

Jack Waller was rushed to London's Great Ormond Street Hospital with a police escort yesterday to receive a new heart and lungs.

The South Yorkshire five-year-old - nicknamed "Backpack Boy" because of the vital medical equipment he has had to carry on his back in a rucksack - was placed on the transplant list just one month ago after his condition declined dramatically.
His mother Diane was telephoned at their home in Brampton, between Barnsley and Rotherham, at breakfast time and told the organs had become available.

Her sister Joanne Read told The Star: "We've been feeling every emotion you can possibly imagine.

"We're relieved because he needs this, but it's a big operation and of course we feel for the family of the donor child."
For the past four years Jack has been hooked up to a backpack 24 hours a day which shoots drugs into his heart every three minutes.

The Cortonwood Infants and Junior School student is the face of Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice Appeal, which is aiming to build a facility in Dinnington to care for poorly youngsters.
He suffers from primary pulmonary hypertension and experts say a transplant is his last chance of survival.

Just six children in the UK had a double heart and lung transplant last year and the average waiting time was 546 days.

Scientific Publication on Long-term Bosentan Use in PPH
ALLSCHWIL, Switzerland, Feb. 1, 2005 - Actelion Ltd (SWX: ALTN) announced today the publication of the scientific paper evaluating disease outcome of patients with advanced primary pulmonary arterial hypertension receiving Tracleer(bosentan).