Role of Antigen Type in Survival in Chronic Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis

Excerpt

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is a group of granulomatous, interstitial, bronchiolar, and alveolar-filling pulmonary diseases caused by repeated exposure and sensitization to a variety of antigens, the most common of which are avian and mold exposure [1]. Prior studies report conflicting results with regard to the effect of antigen type on survival in HP [2‐4]. To evaluate whether history of avian or mold exposure is associated with clinical outcomes, we evaluated a retrospective cohort of patients with a multidisciplinary diagnosis of HP for an association between avian or mold exposure and overall and transplant-free survival. We also evaluated the diagnostic yield of bronchoscopy in these patients in order to assess for lead-time bias as a possible confounder. …