Immunology of the Lung Allograft

Lung transplantation is currently an accepted modality for treatment of end-stage lung disease. Pulmonary immunology is an example of an area where each intervention, whether medical or surgical, can be a significant influence. This book simplifies the science of pulmonary immunology for clinicians involved in the management of lung transplant. It begins with the basics of lung immunology and moves on to alterations that develop in the lung allograft as it is subjected to a variety of insults, such as ischemia, reperfusion, infection and the long-term sequella associated with obliterative bronchiolitis and viral infections. The book also addresses how immunosuppressive medications, whether during induction or long-term, may influence the lung allograft immune mechanisms, thereby affecting potential risks of rejection and infection.