title: Decrease of Airway Allergies After Lung Transplantation Is Associated With Reduced Basophils and Eosinophils.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Allergies are hypersensitive reactions of the immune system on antigen exposure similar to immune reactions after transplantation (Tx). Their activity can change after Tx. The lung as a transplantable organ is challenged two-fold, by antigens from the blood and the air environment. Herein we analyzed if airway allergies change after lung Tx.
  
  
  METHODS
  We systematically reviewed patients' airway allergies before and after lung Tx between 1992 and 2014. The course of lymphocytes, thrombocytes, and leukocytes, among them neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils, was analyzed in patients in whom airway allergies have changed and in whom they did not change.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 362 lung transplanted patients, 44 patients had suffered from allergies before Tx (12.2%). In 20 of these patients (45.5%), airway allergies disappeared completely within 1 year after lung Tx and were persistently absent thereafter. In these patients, basophils and eosinophils decreased significantly (P < .0012); in contrast, cells did not decrease in patients whose allergies did not disappear. Leukocytes overall, and in particular, neutrophils, decreased significantly in patients whose allergy disappeared (P < .014, P < .012, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Airway allergies disappeared in almost half of cases after lung Tx. Along with this reduction, basophils and eosinophils decreased as potentially responsible cells for this phenomenon. These findings may stimulate intensified research on basophils and eosinophils as major drivers of airway allergies.
authors: Division of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Niedzwiecki
authors: Division of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Yamada
authors: Division of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Inci
authors: Division of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Weder
authors: Division of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address: wolfgang.jungraithmayr@usz.ch.
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Jungraithmayr
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001491:Basophils / Q000276:immunology*; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology; D016040:Lung Transplantation; D008297:Male; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology