Clinical Outcomes of Lung Transplant Recipients with Myelodysplastic Syndrome and Short Telomere Syndrome—Case Series

Abstract

Limited data exists concerning the post lung transplantation outcomes of patients diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). We delineate the clinical trajectories and outcomes for 3 patients with MDS and Short Telomere Syndrome (STS) who underwent lung transplantation. Our findings suggest that patients with STS and low-risk MDS, especially those harboring the SF3B1 mutation, tolerated standard immunosuppression and antimicrobial prophylaxis well without significant deviation from a typical post-transplant course. Therefore, individuals with low-risk MDS should not be automatically excluded from lung transplantation consideration. Post-transplant monitoring is crucial to promptly detect and manage cytopenias. Conversely, our patient, diagnosed with high-risk MDS post-transplantation faced a poor prognosis, with severe cytopenias limiting immunosuppression treatment and resulting in rejection. Thus, abundance of caution is warranted when contemplating lung transplantation for individuals with high-risk MDS and STS. Further research is necessary to validate these findings.