Chronic lung allograft dysfunction post-lung transplantation: The era of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome and restrictive allograft syndrome

Abstract

Chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) following lung transplantation limits long-term survival considerably. The main reason for this is a lack of knowledge regarding the pathological condition and the establishment of treatment. The consensus statement from the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation on CLAD in 2019 classified CLAD into two main phenotypes: Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome and restrictive allograft syndrome. Along with this clear classification, further exploration of the mechanisms and the development of appropriate prevention and treatment strategies for each phenotype are desired. In this review, we summarize the new definition of CLAD and update and summarize the existing knowledge on the underlying mechanisms of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome and restrictive allograft syndrome, which have been elucidated from clinicopathological observations and animal experiments worldwide.