Infections in autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis: a large retrospective cohort

BackgroundAutoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (aPAP) is a rare disease, predisposing to an increased risk of infection. A complete picture of these infections is lacking.Research questionDescribe the characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients diagnosed with aPAP, and to identify risk factors associated with opportunistic infections.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort including all patients diagnosed with aPAP between 2008 and 2018 in France and Belgium. Data were collected using a standardised questionnaire including demographics, comorbidities, imaging features, outcomes and microbiological data.ResultsWe included 104 patients, 2/3 were men and median age at diagnosis was 45 years. With a median follow-up of 3.4 years (IQR 1.7–6.6 years), 60 patients (58%), developed at least one infection, including 23 (22%) with opportunistic infections. Nocardiaspp was the main pathogen identified (n=10). Thirty-five (34%) patients were hospitalised due to infection. In univariate analysis, male gender was associated with opportunistic infections (p=0.04, OR=3.88; 95% CI (1.02 to 22.06)). Anti-granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor antibody titre at diagnosis was significantly higher among patients who developed nocardiosis (1058 (316–1591) vs 580 (200–1190), p=0.01). Nine patients had died (9%), but only one death was related to infection.InterpretationPatients with aPAP often presented with opportunistic infections, especially nocardiosis, which highlights the importance of systematic search for slow-growing bacteria in bronchoalveolar lavage or whole lung lavage.