Glycine supplementation to LPD flush preservation or as i.v.-donor preconditioning improves early graft function in a porcine single left lung transplantation model after 24 hours of cold ischemia

Abstract

levels (773 282 pg/ml in DIG group vs. 761 321 pg/ml in Controls, P 0.41), and QTc interval (475 55 ms in DIG group vs. 451 42 ms, P 0.44). In the DIG group, QTc interval was prolonged ( 440 ms) in 55 (57%) patients and normal in 42 (43%). During follow-up, 24 (25%) of patients died. Cardiac mortality in DIG group was higher in patients with prolonged QTc (17/55; 31%) than in patients with normal QTc (3/42; 7%) (P 0.004). In Controls, the mortality rates were comparable to mortality of digoxin-treated patients with normal QTc (4/48; 8%) (P 0.83). Prolonged QTc interval was the only independent predictor of cardiac mortality (P 0.002), sudden cardiac death (P 0.004), and pump failure death (P 0.006) on multivariate analysis. Conclusions: In women with advanced HF, digoxin treatment increases cardiac mortality only in patients who have a prolonged QTc interval. Since QTc interval prolongation is more frequent in women than in men, the previously described gender differences in the effect of digoxin for the treatment of HF may merely reflect the gender differences in the duration of QTc interval, which is a marker of HF mortality.