LTOG Aim 2

What is the LTOG Aim 2 study?

LTOG Aim 2, short for Long Term Follow-Up of the Lung Transplant Outcomes Group Cohort, is a follow-up study to the previous Lung Transplant Outcomes Group (LTOG) study. The LTOG study followed participants the first year after transplant, looking at body composition, disability, and quality of life through physical assessments, surveys, and blood draws. Now, we are looking at the long term outcomes of the participants from the LTOG study. Specifically, we are looking at disability and quality of life.

UCSF is one of several sites participating nationwide. Over 290 participants have participated in our previous LTOG studies at UCSF, and over 3400 participants have participated in LTOG studies across all sites. LTOG Aim 2 is the world's largest and longest running study following lung transplant recipients' quality of life outcomes. Participants in this study are helping to improve understanding of long-term results in the field of lung transplants, and helping to inform decisions about lung transplants for future patients with advanced lung disease. More information about the LTOG Aim 2 study is available on the UCSF Clinical Trials website.

What is the purpose of this study?

The purpose of this study is to learn more about the long-term outcomes after lung transplantation. The previous study, LTOG, mainly focused on the short-term outcomes after transplant. We anticipate that this study will allow us to learn more about the clinical and biological processes that occur after lung transplantation, and how they impact long-term patient and graft outcomes. The information that participants provide may help health professionals better understand and learn more about long term outcomes after lung transplant.

Some featured publications created using the LTOG study's data is available below. For a complete list of publications, please check out our publications page.

LTOG Publications

Led by UCSF Physicians:

Dectin-1 genetic deficiency predicts chronic lung allograft dysfunction and death. JCI Insight. November 2019.

Frailty phenotypes and mortality after lung transplantation: A prospective cohort study. American Journal of Transplantation. August 2018

Led by the University of Pennsylvania:

Obesity-related IL-18 Impairs T-Regulatory Cell Function and Promotes Lung Ischemia–Reperfusion Injury. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. November 2021

Risk of Primary Graft Dysfunction Following Lung Transplantation in Selected Adults with Connective Tissue Disease-associated Interstitial Lung Disease. The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. May 2021

Discharge frailty following lung transplantation. Clinical transplantation. October 2019

Led by the University of Indiana:

Collagen type-V is a danger signal associated with primary graft dysfunction in lung transplantation. Transplant Immunology. October 2019

Led by Vanderbilt University:

Cell-free hemoglobin promotes primary graft dysfunction through oxidative lung endothelial injury. JCI Insight. January 2018

Who can participate?

To participate in the study, you must:

Have participated in the previous LTOG study
Be a year or more out from transplant
Currently receive follow-up care at UCSF

What is asked of participants?

Annual short physical performance battery test (SPPB)
- We will reach out to ask you to complete a 5-10 minute SPPB when you are already coming in to clinic once a year. An SPPB involves standing in three positions to test balance, walking a total of 30 feet between two cones, and standing five times from sitting in a chair. This is also offered over zoom.
Annual Survey
- We will send you a survey asking about your health-related quality of life each year. It is available in an online or paper format.
Future: Blood Samples
- We are not currently asking for blood samples. In the future, we might ask to collect a few additional vials of blood for research when you are already receiving blood draws as part of your medical care. We will not ask for additional needle pokes. If we begin collecting blood samples, we will reach out to you for permission, and you can tell us yes or no.

How do I sign up?

If you would like to participate, please reach out to research coordinators Paige Gambetta ([email protected]), Hunter Scott ([email protected]), or Anya Sriram ([email protected]) for more information.

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