Lung transplantation has become an exciting therapy for advanced lung disease, with most recipients experiencing an improved quality and duration of life. Unfortunately, for many patients long-term survival has been limited by the development of obliterative bronchiolitis (OB), an insidious process that causes scarring and eventually obstruction of the small airways. Currently OB is poorly understood but recent theories link the development of OB to airway epithelial injury. Airway epithelial injury in the lung transplant recipient may be caused by alloimmune independent mechanisms, such as infections (CMV), irritants (GERD), and ischemia, as well as alloimmune dependent mechanisms, such as rejection.
Dr. Hays is involved in clinical and translational research with the goal of gaining a better understanding of the risk factors for OB as well as the relationship between epithelial injury and the development of OB. By analyzing samples of airway tissue from well-characterized lung transplant recipients, he is working to identify airway remodeling changes, epithelial protein and gene expression patterns and airway infections that occur in the early phases of OB. In addition he hopes to gain a better understanding of the relationship between airway inflammation and infection in early OB. Dr. Hays is also interested in studying new potential therapies to delay or treat OB and incorporates his research techniques into studying the way new treatments affect the airway inflammation.
Bibliography
Hays SR, Woodruff PG, Khashayar R, Ferrando RE, Liu J, Fung P, Zhao CQ, Wong HH, Fahy JV. Allergen challenge causes inflammation but not goblet cell degranulation in asthmatic subjects. J Allergy Clin Immunol, 2001; 108(5): 784-90.
Ferrando RE, Nyengaard JR, Hays SR, Fahy JV, Woodruff PG. Applying stereology to measure thickness of the basement membrane zone in bronchial biopsy specimens. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2003; 112(6):1243-5.
Woodruff PG, Dolganov GM, Ferrando RE, Donnelly S, Hays SR, Solberg OD, Carter R, Wong HH, Cadbury PS, Fahy JV. Hyperplasia of Smooth Muscle in Mild/Moderate Asthma Without Changes in Cell Size or Gene Expression. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2004; Jan 15
Hays SR, Ferrando RE, Carter R, Wong HH, Woodruff PG. Structural changes to airway smooth muscle in cystic fibrosis. Thorax. 2005 Mar; 60(3): 226-8
Patti MG, Tedesco P, Golden J, Hays SR, Hoopes C, Meneghetti A, Damani T, Way LW. Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: How often is it really idiopathic?. Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery. 2005; 9(8):1053-6.
Hays SR, Fahy, JV. Characterizing mucous cell remodeling in cystic fibrosis: relationship to neutrophils. 2006 Nov 1;174(9):1018-24.
Sweet MP, Hoopes C, Golden J, Hays S, Leard L, Patti M. Prevalence of delayed gastric emptying and gastroesophageal reflux in patients with end-stage lung disease. Ann Thorac Surg. 2006 Oct;82(4): 1570.
Sweet MP, Herbella FA, Leard L, Hoopes C, Golden J, Hays S, Patti MG. The prevalence of distal and proximal gastroesophageal reflux in patients awaiting lung transplantation. Ann Surg. 2006 Oct;244(4):491-7.
