Exhaled nitric oxide and pulmonary complications after allogeneic stem cell transplantation

The results of this study indicate that non myeloablative AHSCT produced short and medium term life threatening pulmonary complications in a consistent number of patients. Severe pulmonary complications were predicted by increases in exhaled NO and decreases in tests reflecting peripheral airway patency patency. Both functional and CT-scan abnormalities suggest the occurrence of bronchiolitis, that at least in two patients might be due toAspergillus infection. Exhaled NO resulted to be sensitive enough to reveal ongoing airway damage. These results are in agreement with the findings in lung transplantation, where serial eNO measurements were found to predict the early development of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome.