Long-term Results Of Heart Transplantation Research Articles

Early and long-term results of heart transplantation with reoperative sternotomy.

This study aims to investigate the effects of reoperative sternotomy on early and long-term outcomes after heart transplantation. We retrospectively reviewed data of a total of 92 patients (72 males, 20 females; mean age 36 years; range, 3 to 61 years) who underwent orthotopic heart transplantation between May 1998 and July 2014. The patients were divided into three groups. Group A (n=23) included patients who underwent previous cardiac surgery with sternotomy other than ventricular assist device implantation; Group B (n=12) included patients who were bridged-to-transplant with a ventricular assist device; and Group C (n=57) included patients who for the first time underwent heart transplantation without previous sternotomy. Preoperative and operative data of the three groups were compared. The short- and long-term outcomes of all groups were analyzed. There was no significant difference among the groups, except for the age and preoperative international normalized ratio. Total ischemia time in the ventricular assist device group was longer than Group C. The length of intensive care unit stay was also longer in the ventricular assist device group than the other groups. The amount of postoperative chest tube drainage and blood transfusion was higher in Group A. Early mortality rate was significantly higher in Group A. There was no significant difference in survival among the three groups in the long-term. According to the logistic regression analysis, no variable was found to be a significant risk factor for mortality. Reoperative sternotomy other than ventricular assist device implantation was found to be a risk factor for early mortality; however, mid and long-term survival rates were similar to patients in whom transplantation was the primary procedure. In patients with reoperative sternotomy, heart transplantation can be performed with similar risks to patients without resternotomy with careful selection and accurate pre- and intraoperative surgical approach.

Assessment of heart transplant recipients survival based on ultrasound diagnostic methods and immunological screening of antibodies to leukocyte donor antigens

Aim. To create a mathematical model for predicting an assessment of the risk of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) and analyze the survival of recipients with antibodies to leukocyte donor antigens. Material and methods. A single-center study was conducted on the basis ofS.V.OchapovskyRegionalClinicalHospital № 1. During the 7 years 181 heart transplant recipients were observed. Based on the AMR crisis and detected antibodies to leukocyte donor antigens (HLA), 5 groups were identified: group 1 (n=10) — donor-specific antibodies (DSA) and AMR crisis, group 2 (n=7) — patients without DSA and AMR crisis, group 3 (n=17) — patients with antibodies to HLA, without AMR crisis, group 4 (n=11) — with AMR crisis, without identified antibodies to HLA, group 5 (n=87) — patients, not having antibodies to HLA and signs of both AMR and cell-mediated rejection (according to endomyocardial biopsy). The recipients underwent immunological tests, 2D-speckletracking echocardiography (2D-STE) and transthoracic echocardiography (TTEchoCG). Statistical methods were used to assess the results. Results. Predictors of the severe form of AMR in TTEchoCG are: left ventricle enddiastolic diameter, interventricular septum thickness, ejection fraction, right ventricle volume. Predictors were determined using the 2D-STE method: global longitudinal peak strain, sensitivity (SE) — 86,2%, specificity (SP) — 90,4%; radial strain, SE — 75,8%, SP — 84,5%; circular strain, SE — 78,6%, SP — 84,4%. When taking into account the indicators of the global longitudinal peak strain of the left ventricle and the longitudinal peak strain of the right ventricle, SE increases to 91,9%, SP — 94,6%, with p<0,001. The survival rate of patients with identified post-transplant ( de novo ) donor-specific antibodies of the late period is 40%, without identified donor-specific antibodies — 68%. Dedicated predictors are used for mathematical prediction of AMR risk. Conclusion. The relationship between immunological changes and data of TTEchoCG, deformation parameters and mechanics of a heart transplant was revealed. The presence of de novo DSA decline the survival, increases the risk of AMR, and contributes to the development of coronary artery disease. The proposed AMR risk prediction model will improve the long-term results of heart transplantation.

Donor-recipient Ethnic Matching Impacts Short and Long-term Results of Heart Transplantation

Donor-recipient Ethnic Matching Impacts Short and Long-term Results of Heart Transplantation

Orthotopic heart transplantation with donors greater than or equal to 60 years of age: a single-center experience

Heart transplantation is the best therapeutic option for patients suffering from end-stage heart failure, but donor organ availability still represents a major problem. This had led to a shift toward extended donor criteria. The aim of the present study is to analyze the short- and long-term results of heart transplantation in patients with donor age ≥ 60 years. Since November 1985, 890 patients have been transplanted at our center. We consider, for the present study, only primary adult heart transplantations performed after 1990, totaling 761 patients, mean age at transplantation 49.8 years, and 616 patients being male (81%). We compare the short- and long-term results of patients transplanted with donors younger than 60 years or ≥ 60 years. Since 1990, at our center, 711 patients have been heart transplanted with a donor younger than 60 years, while 50 patients received a heart from a donor older than 60 years. No differences have been reported in the etiology of cardiomyopathy, previous surgery, or mean ischemic time. Patients transplanted with donors ≥ 60 years of age were significantly older compared to the younger donors' group. Donor cause of death was a cerebrovascular accident in 82% of donors ≥ 60 years versus 41% in younger donors. Patients' heart transplanted with donors ≥ 60 years had a higher incidence of acute graft failure with a hospital mortality of 32% (16 patients) significantly higher compared with 10.2% for the other group. No differences were noticed in the incidence of renal failure, acute rejection treated, coronary allograft vasculopathy, and neoplasm during long-term follow-up. It was possible to expand the cardiac donor pool by accepting allografts from donors ≥ 60 years of age in selected cases by performing a coronary angiogram. A meticulous donor evaluation and a careful risk assessment between the risk of death on the waiting list and probable increased hospital mortality are needed.

Long-term results of heart transplantation in patients older than 60 years

Background Advanced age has been traditionally considered a relative contraindication for heart transplantation. Older patients are now considered as potential candidates for heart transplantation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the long-term results of heart transplantation in patients older than 60 years. Methods Between 1986 and 2001, 81 patients aged between 60 and 70 years (mean, 63 ± 2 years) underwent heart transplantation. These patients were compared with 403 adult recipients younger than 60 years (mean, 47 ± 11 years) who underwent transplantation during the same period. Results Thirty-day mortality was 6% (5/81) and 6% (25/403) in the older and younger patients, respectively ( P = NS). Actuarial survival at 1, 5, and 10 years was 88% ± 4% versus 83% ± 2%, 75% ± 5% versus 69% ± 2%, and 50% ± 9% versus 51% ± 3% in the older and younger patients, respectively ( P = NS). Older patients had significantly fewer rejection episodes ( P = .003). Freedom from allograft coronary artery disease at 1, 5, and 10 years was 98% ± 2% versus 92% ± 2%, 85% ± 6% versus 76% ± 3%, and 81% ± 7% versus 68% ± 3% ( P = .1). The incidences of infectious complication, cytomegalovirus infection, and posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder were similar between the 2 groups, but older recipients were more likely to have a nonposttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder cancer ( P = .002). Age at transplantation was not identified as an independent risk factor for early and late death. Conclusion Heart transplantation in selected patients aged 60 years and older results in survival comparable with that of younger patients. Older patients have a lower risk of rejection but an increased risk of development of a nonposttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder cancer. Advanced age per se should not be considered as an exclusion criterion for transplantation.

Effects of human tissue plasminogen gene transfer on allograft coronary atherosclerosis

Background: Transplant coronary atherosclerosis is a major limiting factor to successful long-term cardiac transplantation. The depletion of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in the arteriolar smooth muscle cells has been associated with a higher incidence of accelerated graft atherosclerosis. In vivo overexpression of tPA may inhibit accelerated graft atherosclerosis and improve the long-term results of heart transplantation. We evaluated the feasibility, distribution, and effects of intracoronary transfer of the human tPA (htPA) gene in a rabbit heterotopic cardiac transplant model, using a novel cationic liposome compound designed for improved delivery to vascular endothelium. Methods Human tPA cDNA under the control of the SV40 promoter (100 μg) was complexed with the novel cationic liposome (±)-N-(3-aminopropyl)-N,N-dimethyl-2,3- bis(dodecyloxy)-1-propanaminium bromide (GAP: DLRIE) (50 μg), and delivered ex vivo to the donor heart by slow intracoronary infusion. Control hearts received an “empty” liposome preparation. Grafts were then implanted into recipient rabbits in the heterotopic cervical position. For the analysis of gene expression, beating donor hearts were collected at 4 days. To examine the effects of htPA expression on graft atherosclerosis, animals received a 0.5% cholesterol diet for 30 days posttransplant, as well as 10 mg/kg cyclosporine A daily. Beating hearts were collected at 30 days posttransplant and analyzed for the development of transplant atherosclerosis by image analysis. Results Northern blot analysis for the htPA messenger RNA (mRNA) transcripts showed significantly higher counts in hearts receiving the htPA gene as compared to controls. The distribution of these transcripts favored the left ventricle (LV) and septal regions over the right ventricle (RV). Scintillation analysis of specimens stained by immunoflourescence showed expression of htPA throughout the perivascular myocardium that was significantly higher in grafts transduced with the htPA gene than in control or native hearts. Expression in the vascular wall was also significantly enhanced. Scintillation counts per × 200 field were 262 ± 145 in htPA-transduced hearts and 20 ± 27 in controls ( p = 0.001), and mean luminescence was 83.7 ± 12.5 in htPA-transduced hearts and 62.9 ± 12.8 in controls ( p = 0.01). Intimal hyperplasia was assessed by mean percent luminal stenosis in small- and medium-sized arteries and was 31.12 ± 23.5% in htPA-transduced hearts and 86.59 ± 17.5% in control hearts ( p < 0.0001). Conclusions These results demonstrate that expression of the htPA gene can be induced by ex vivo intracoronary gene transfer at the time of allograft preservation. Liposome-mediated delivery of the htPA gene at the time of transplantation results in significant early transgene expression, and significantly inhibits the development of graft coronary atherosclerosis.

Perioperative Risk and Long-Term Results of Heart Transplantation After Previous Cardiac Operations

Background. In recent years, there has been an increasing proportion of candidates for heart transplantation who have sustained one or several previous cardiac operations. This study analyzes the perioperative management and the long-term survival of patients undergoing orthotopic heart transplantation as a redo operation and compares the results with those obtained in patients undergoing transplantation as the first cardiac operation.Methods. From October 1985 to October 1994, 204 heart transplantations were performed in 202 patients. Thirty-eight transplantations were performed in patients who had undergone prior cardiac operations because of coronary artery disease (n = 21) and valvular disease (n = 8) as well as one or several palliative or corrective procedures because of complex congenital heart disease (n = 9). These 38 patients were compared in a case-control fashion with 76 patients who underwent orthotopic cardiac transplantation as a primary cardiac procedure during the same period and using similar techniques. The majority of preoperative variables (hemodynamics, inotropic support, liver and renal function, coagulation, and priority to transplantation) were comparable in the two groups of patients. Mean age was significantly younger in the group of patients with a previous operation (42.2 ± 9.5 versus 50.1 ± 7.3 years; p < 0.001).Results. Except the problem of more fastidious hemostasis, which is nowadays under better control since aprotinin has been routinely administered, the results show no significant difference in term of perioperative risk (hospital mortality: 5.2% in study group versus 7.8% in the control group) and long-term outcome. The 1-year survival rate was 92.7% ± 3.6% in the study group versus 90.8% ± 3.6% in the control group, and the 5-year survival rate was 79.4% ± 4.5% versus 74.8% ± 7.5%, respectively.Conclusions. These results are very acceptable and confirm the fact that carefully selected candidates for transplantation are not exposed to a particularly high perioperative risk when a prior cardiac operation has been performed. The incidences of early and late rejection episodes as well as the numbers of postoperative infections are similar in the two groups. Although multiple prior procedures do constitute significant risk factors for perioperative morbidity and mortality in isolated lung and heart-lung transplantation, this is not the case in heart transplantation.(Ann Thorac Surg 1997;63:1133–7)

Long-term results of heart transplantation in females

Long-term results of heart transplantation in females