A simple measure to evaluate lungs during extended Ex vivo Lung Perfusion

What is it about?

Ex vivo Lung Perfusion is being adopted as a preservative and evaluative tool for donor lungs by transplant centres worldwide. A subclinical injury exist during prolonged normothermic perfusion despite adequate to improved oxygenation. We propose a simple measure of lung function that shows better correlation with reported inflammation during EVLP.

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Why is it important?

While preserving donated lungs awaiting transplantation, we need a tool, both timely and effective to decide on an end point. A time point when ex vivo perfusion alleged risks to the graft outweighs its benefits. We showed that a decline in lungs' vasculature response to hypoxia correlates with the release of key inflammatory cytokines that are induced during ex vivo perfusion. Hypoxic challenge provides a simple, sensitive tool to evaluate lungs during extended ex vivo perfusion.

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