Regaining normal pulmonary function is possible for long-term survivors of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), and it improves the likelihood of survival, according to a retrospective cohort study involving 308 children. Participants were from a single institution and had ≥3 pulmonary function test results either with (n=188) or without (n=120) at least 1 abnormal result. Investigators followed them for 10 years. Among the results:

• Post-transplant pulmonary function normalized in 27% of the patients in the abnormal results group.
• 43% of patients in the abnormal results group experienced pulmonary complications.
• Patients who recovered pulmonary function had better overall survival, similar to that seen in the normal results contingent post-transplant.
• After adjusting for follow up length, pulmonary complications and lower pre-transplant forced vital capacity z-scores were linked with poor recovery.
• T-cell depletion, lower pre-transplant forced expired volume in 1 second z-scores, and chronic graft-versus-host disease increased pulmonary complication risk.
• Non-recovery of lung function with pulmonary complications, acute graft-versus-host disease, and mechanical ventilation predicted non-relapse mortality.