Development status and new challenges of heart transplantation / 器官移植

Heart transplantation is the primary therapeutic option for patients with end-stage heart failure. The shortage of donors has been the main limiting factor for the increasing quantity of heart transplantation. With persistent updating and introduction of novel technologies, the donor pool has been increasingly expanded, such as using the heart from older donors, donors infected with hepatitis C virus, donors dying from drug overdose or donation after cardiac death (DCD) donors, etc. Meantime, the proportion of recipients with advanced age, multiple organ dysfunction, mechanical circulatory support and human leukocyte antigen antibody sensitization has been significantly increased in recent years. The shortage of donors, complication of recipients' conditions, individualized management of immunosuppressive therapy and prevention and treatment of long-term cardiac allograft vasculopathy are all challenges in the field of heart transplantation. In this article, novel progresses on donor pool expansion, improving the quality of recipients, strengthening the diagnosis and treatment of rejection, and preventing cardiac allograft vasculopathy were reviewed, aiming to prolong the survival and enhance the quality of life of patients with end-stage heart failure on the waiting list or underwent heart transplantation.

Cardiac allograft vasculopathy after heart transplantation: summary of a single-center long-term follow-up experience in Fuwai Hospital / 器官移植

Objective To summarize the incidence of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) after heart transplantation and the effect on the long-term survival of recipients. Methods Clinical data of 1 006 heart transplant recipients were retrospectively analyzed. Of 48 CAV patients, 4 cases were not included in this analysis due to lack of imaging evidence. A total of 1 002 recipients were divided into the CAV group (n=44) and non-CAV group (n=958) according to the incidence of CAV. The incidence of CAV was summarized. Clinical data of all patients were statistically compared between two groups. Imaging diagnosis, coronary artery disease, drug treatment and complications, postoperative survival and causes of death of CAV patients were analyzed. Results Among 1 006 heart transplant recipients, 48 cases (4.77%) developed CAV. Compared with the non-CAV group, the proportion of preoperative smoking history, preoperative hypertension history, coronary artery disease and perioperative infection was significantly higher in the CAV group (all P < 0.05). Among 44 patients diagnosed with CAV by imaging examination, 24 cases were diagnosed with CAV by coronary CT angiography (CTA), 4 cases by coronary angiography (CAG), and 16 cases by coronary CTA combined with CAG. Among 44 patients, the proportion of grade Ⅰ CAV was 45% (20/44), 30% (13/44) for grade Ⅱ CAV and 25% (11/44) for grade Ⅲ CAV, respectively. All patients received long-term use of statins after operation, and 20 patients were given with antiplatelet drugs. Among 44 CAV patients, 11 patients underwent percutaneous coronary intervention, 6 cases received repeated heart transplantation, and 8 patients died. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that there was no significant difference in the long-term survival rate between the CAV and non-CAV groups (P > 0.05), whereas the survival rate of patients tended to decline after the diagnosis of CAV (at postoperative 6-7 years). The long-term survival rates of patients with grade Ⅰ, grade Ⅱ and grade Ⅲ CAV showed no significant difference (P > 0.05). Even for patients with grade Ⅰ CAV, the long-term survival rate tended to decline. Conclusions CAV is a common and intractable complication following heart transplantation, and the long-term survival rate of patients after the diagnosis of CAV tended to decline. Deepening understanding of CAV, prompt prevention, diagnosis and treatment should be delivered to improve the long-term survival rate of patients after heart transplantation.

Retrasplante cardíaco: reporte de un caso / Cardiac re-transplantation: case report

RESUMEN: El Trasplante cardíaco es la mejor alternativa para la insuficiencia cardíaca terminal, logrando buenos resultados de sobrevida y calidad de vida a largo plazo. Una de las causas más importantes de morbimortalidad es la falla del injerto, la que puede ser secundaria, entre otros, a rechazo agudo y/o vasculopatía y su presencia requiere considerar todas las alternativas terapéuticas, dentro de las cuales está el retrasplante. Los resultados de sobrevida en retrasplante cardíaco son buenos. No obstante, los pacientes presentan los riesgos de una terapia inmunosupresora más intensa, así como el desarrollo recurrente de vasculopatía del injerto. Por lo que se considera una opción en pacientes cuidadosamente seleccionados, dado que la experiencia internacional demuestra que la sobrevida del retrasplante es menor que en el primer trasplante. Presentamos el caso de un paciente trasplantado a los 42 años, quien desarrolla una enfermedad vascular del injerto e insuficiencia cardíaca con capacidad funcional IV, por lo cual se decidió realizar un retrasplante cardíaco.

ABSTRACT: Cardiac transplantation is the best alternative for terminal heart failure, achieving good long-term survival and life quality. One of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality is graft failure, which may be secondary, among others, to acute rejection and / or vasculopathy and its presence requires the consideration of all therapeutic alternatives, re transplantation being one of them. The results of survival in cardiac retransplantation are good; however, they present the risks of a more intense immunosuppressive therapy as well as the recurrent development of graft vasculopathy. Therefore, it is considered an option in carefully selected patients given that international experience shows that the survival of retransplantation is lower than in primary cases. We present the case of a 42 year old transplanted patient , who developed graft vascular disease with progressive deterioration of his ventricular function leading to functional class IV. for which a cardiaccardiac retransplantation was performed.

Research progress on cardiac allograft vasculopathy / 器官移植

Allogeneic heart transplantation (HTx) is the primary treatment for patients with end-stage heart failure. Nevertheless, the long-term complication of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) after HTx is the main factor affecting the long-term survival of the recipients. Up to now, there is no effective methods to prevent and treat CAV. This article reviews the pathological manifestations of CAV, immunological factors of CAV and other risk factors of CAV, aiming to provide novel ideas and understanding for CAV research.

Quilty Lesions in the Endomyocardial Biopsies after Heart Transplantation

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of Quilty lesions in endomyocardial biopsies (EMBs) of cardiac transplantation patients. METHODS: A total of 1190 EMBs from 117 cardiac transplantation patients were evaluated histologically for Quilty lesions, acute cellular rejection, and antibody-mediated rejection. Cardiac allograft vasculopathy was diagnosed by computed tomography coronary angiography. Clinical information, including the patients’ survival was retrieved by a review of medical records. RESULTS: Eighty-eight patients (75.2%) were diagnosed with Quilty lesions, which were significantly associated with acute cellular rejection, but not with acute cellular rejection ≥ 2R or antibody-mediated rejection. In patient sdiagnosed with both Quilty lesions and acute cellular rejection, the time-to-onset of Quilty lesions from transplantation was longer than that of acute cellular rejections. We found a significant association between Quilty lesions and cardiac allograft vasculopathy. No significant relationship was found between Quilty lesions and the patients’ survival. CONCLUSIONS: Quilty lesion may be an indicator of previous acute cellular rejection rather than a predictor for future acute cellular rejection.

Triptolide ameliorates transplant arteriosclerosis in rat aorta allograft by inhibiting the expression of NO synthase / 中华器官移植杂志

Objective To understand the pathological role of nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS2) in rat allograft vascular lesions and the effects of triptolide.Methods The abdominal aorta transplantation between Wistar and SD rats was used as an animal model.Three groups were set up..the same genome group (group A),the allogeneic control group (group B),and the isogene Triptolide group (group C).The grafts were removed at 7th,28th,and 56th day after surgery.The transplant artery intima thickness was measured.The irnmunohistochemical staining was applied to observe the NOS2 expression in the vascular tissue layers.The integral optical density value in each group was calculated.Results The arterial intima of transplants at 28th and 56th day postoperation was thickened,and that was thickest in group C among the three groups (P＜0.05).There was significant difference in intima thickness and integral optical density between group C with groups A and B (P＜ 0.05).The expression of NOS2 was strongest in group B,and that in group C was significantly weaker than that in group B (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Triptolide is capable of slowing down the progression of graft vascular disease by inhibiting the expression of NOS2.

Heart Retransplantation to Treat a Case of Refractory Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy / 대한내과학회지

Cardiac allograft vasculopathy is one of the most important causes of poor long-term survival after heart transplantation. The condition tends to be diffuse, usually affecting the mid-to-distal portions of the coronary artery. Reperfusion therapy is ineffective. Everolimus, an inhibitor of proliferation signaling, has been reported to prevent development of the condition; however, the efficacy thereof has not yet been fully accepted. The only definitive treatment for cardiac allograft vasculopathy is retransplantation. Herein, we describe the case of a 15-year-old boy who underwent heart retransplantation because of rapidly progressive cardiac allograft vasculopathy.

The Clinical Course and Outcomes of Post-Transplantation Diabetes Mellitus after Heart Transplantation

The aim of this study was to describe in more detail the predisposition, natural course, and clinical impact of post-transplantation diabetes mellitus (PTDM) after heart transplantation (HT). The characteristics and clinical outcomes of 54 patients with PTDM were compared with those of 140 patients without PTDM. The mean age of PTDM patients was significantly higher than controls (48.9 +/- 9.3 vs 38.6 +/- 13.3 yr, respectively, P = 0.001), and ischemic heart disease was a more common indication of HT (20.4% [11/54] vs 7.1% [10/140], respectively, P = 0.008). In multivariate analysis, only recipient age (odds ratio, 1.80; 95% confidence interval, 1.35-2.40; P = 0.001) was associated with PTDM development. In 18 patients (33%), PTDM was reversed during the follow-up period, and the reversal of PTDM was critically dependent on the time taken to develop PTDM (1.9 +/- 1.0 months in the reversed group vs 14.5 +/- 25.3 months in the maintained group, P = 0.005). The 5-yr incidence of late infection (after 6 months) was higher in the PTDM group than in the control group (30.4% +/- 7.1% vs 15.4% +/- 3.3%, respectively, P = 0.031). However, the 5-yr overall survival rate was not different (92.9% +/- 4.1% vs 85.8% +/- 3.2%, respectively, P = 0.220). In conclusion, PTDM after HT is reversible in one-third of patients and is not a critical factor in patient survival after HT.

Endogenous stress contributes to cardiac injury after heart transplantation in rats / 中南大学学报(医学版)

Objective Stress effect plays an important role in the development of some myocardial diseases. We hypothesized it was important nosogenesis to myocardial damage and cardiac allograft vasculopathy. Methods The transplanted hearts from Lewis to Wister rats served as allografts and from Lewis to Lewis rats as isografts based Ono's model. The differential proteins in the transplanted hearts were separated by comparative proteome, and then identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and searched by Matrix Science software system.Results All transplanted hearts were characterized by lumen loss [(total vessel area-luminal area)/total vessel area] in the coronary artery 2 weeks after the operation [(2.07%±0.93%) vs. (27.58%±11.14%), P＜0.01], but more predominant after 8 weeks [(2.34%±1.06%) vs. (72.29%±20.57%), P＜0.01]. All samples of the left ventricle were analyzed by proteomic techniques and 37 distinct proteins involving their respective isoforms and subunits were identified. Nine proteins were correlated to endoplasmic reticulum stress effect and myocardial damage, and 2 proteins were verified by Western blot.Conclusion Stress plays an important role in cardiac allograft damage and the development of rat cardiac allograft vasculopathy.

Blockade of γc Signals in Combination with Donor-specific Transfusion Induces Cardiac Allograft Acceptance in Murine Models / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

The γc cytokines play an important role in proliferation and survival of T cells. Blocking the γc signals can cause the activated donor-reactive T cells losing the ability to proliferate, and getting into apoptosis pathway, which contributes to induction of the peripheral tolerance. In this study, we induced the transplant tolerance through blocking the γc in combination with donor-specific trans-fusion (DST) in the cardiac transplantation. Following DST, on the day 2, 4 and 6, C57BL/6 recipients received anti-γc monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) injection, and those in control group were not given anti-γc mAbs. On the day 7, Balb/c cardiac allografts were transplanted. All recipients in experimental group accepted cardiac allografis over 30 days, and two of them accepted allografis without rejection until sacrifice on the 120 day. Animals only receiving DST rejected gratis within 5 days, and the mice receiving cardiac transplantation alone rejected gratis within 9 days. Our study showed that blockade of γc signaling combined with DST significantly prolonged allografi survival, which was probably associated with inhibition of antigen-specific T-cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis.

Ação do soro de cabra anti-soro de coelho imunizado ou não com células linfóides do doador sobre o alotransplante cardíaco em ratos: immunosupression of goat antiserum against rabbit serum immunized or not with donor lymphoid cells

OBJECTIVE: To study the immunosupression efficacy an specific anti-antilymphocytic serum prepared in goats in a model of cardiac allografts in rats. METHODS: Three rabbits were immunized with lymphoid cells obtained from mesenteric lymphatic nodes of Wistar rats. Each one received subcutaneously 3x10(9) cells mixed with Freund's adjuvant. After 2 weeks, they were injected with the same amount of cells at weekly intervals for 4 additional times. In the 5th week they were bled and their serum were mixed. This serum, which had a cytotoxic titer of 1:1024, was used to immunize 2 goats that gave rise to the anti-antilymphocytic serum (AAS-1 and AAS-2). As control we immunized 1 additional goat with normal rabbit serum (ANS). The gel diffusion technique (AAS x rabbit serum) showed precipitation bands against till the following dilution: AAS-1 - 1/64, AAS-2 - 1/128 and ANS 1/124. Both AAS were able to block the in vitro lymphocytotoxity of goat antilymphocytic serum till dilution of 1:2 while ANS did not. The hearts from Wistar rats (donors) were transplanted in Holtzman rats. The transplanted rats were divide in groups: C1 - 11 animals (control that received no serum); C2 - 5 animals (control that received 1ml of goat normal serum); A- 19 animals - A1 with 5 rats injected intravenously in the day of surgery with 0.5ml of AAS-1, A2 with 7 rats injected with 1ml of AAS-1 only in the of surgery, and A3 with 7 rats that received 1ml of AAS-1 in days 0, 1 and 2 postoperatively; and group B with 19 rats (B1, B2 and B3) treated as group A except with the AAS-2 serum. RESULTS: Mean heart survival in groups C1 and C2 was respectively 11.9 and 14.6 days Survival range in the subgroups A1 and A2 were respectively 9 to 230 days and 23 to 230 days. In subgroup A3 heart survival was prolonged till 29 to 190 days in 5 animals. In group B only 3 animals had prolonged (120, 130 and 129 days) heart survival in comparison with the control groups. CONCLUSION: Anti-antilymphocytic serum against donor antigen is able to suppress rejection of cardiac allograft in rats.

INTRODUÇÃO: A rejeição imunológica é uma das principais causas da perda de órgãos transplantados. A tentativa do controle da reação imunológica é clinicamente feita através da imunossupressão inespecífica e experimentalmente também por bloqueio específico. O alotransplante cardíaco em ratos pela técnica de ONO,K é um bom método para avaliação clínica da rejeição e de estudos voltados para o controle da rejeição. Objetivo : estudar o efeito de um anti-antisoro linfocitário, anti-linfócitos do doador sobre a rejeição do alotransplante cardíaco de ratos Wistar para ratos Holtzman. MÉTODOS: o soro anti-linfocitário (SAL) foi obtido através da imunização de coelhos com linfócitos obtidos de gânglios linfáticos da cadeia mesentérica de ratos Wistar, em solução de Tyrode, contendo 3x10(9) células/ ml. A inoculação de 3 coelhos foi feita com 1 ml da suspensão celular e 1 ml de adjuvante completo de Freund. Duas semanas após a primeira inoculação fez-se 4 doses semanais de reforço. Os coelhos foram sangrados na 5ª semana, quando então foram separados os soros. A titulação dos soros foi realizada pelo teste de citotoxicidade, sendo verificado que ambos apresentaram título de 1:1024. A dosagem de proteínas mostrou albumina com 3,1 e 2,7 g% e globulinas com 3,5 e 2,9 g%, sendo o normal 3,7 e 2,2 g% respectivamente. Os dois SAL foram misturados. Duas cabras foram inoculados, com 3 ml da mistura desses SAL, associados a 2 ml de adjuvante de Freund. As doses de reforço com 5 ml do SAL foram iniciadas 2 semanas após. A cabra A recebeu 8 doses (1,4 g de globulinas). A cabra B recebeu 4 doses de reforço (0,7 g de globulinas). Uma semana após a última inoculação retirou-se 125 ml de sangue de cada cabra, fazendo a separação dos anti-soro anti-SAL (ASAL). Uma terceira cabra C foi imunizada com soro normal de coelho. A determinação de precipitinas foi feita pelo método de OUCHTERLONY. O ASAL A teve título de 1:64 e B e C título de 1:128. Os ASAL A e B foram capazes de bloquear "in vitro" a atividade citotóxica do SAL até a diluição de 1:2 do SAL. O soro de cabra anti-soro normal de coelho (SCANC) não foi capaz de bloquear a citotoxicidade do SAL. Os animais submetidos a transplante cardíaco foram divididos em 2 grupos controles um normal com 10 ratos (C1) e outro (C2) com 5 ratos que recebeu 1,0 ml endovenoso de SCANC. O grupo de ratos testes A foi composto por 19 ratos distribuídos em 3 subgrupos. Subgrupo A1 com 5 ratos recebeu 0,5 ml do ASAL A, via endovenosa, logo após a cirurgia,o subgrupo A2 com 7 ratos recebeu 1.0 ml do ASAL A nas mesmas condições e o subgrupo A3 também com 7 ratos recebeu 1,0 ml no dia da cirurgia e 1,0 ml nos outros 2 dias consecutivos. O grupo de ratos testes B que recebeu o ASAL B foi igual ao grupo A. A avaliação dos corações transplantados foi diária através da palpação abdominal. O tempo máximo de seguimento foi de 243 dias. Os corações considerados rejeitados foram retirados e feito estudos histológicos. RESULTADOS: o período de rejeição dos grupos foi : controles C1 e C2 foram 11,9 e 14,6 dias, respectivamente; no subgrupo A1 apenas um rato teve sobrevida cardíaca significante (153 dias), nos demais ela variou de 9 a 15 dias; no subgrupo A2 a sobrevida do coração foi significante e variou de 23 a 230 dias; no subgrupo A3 apenas 5 corações tiveram sobrevida significante que variou de 29 a 190 dias. A sobrevida dos corações transplantados do grupo B foi significante para um animal de cada subgrupo (120,132 e 129 dias). Os corações com sobrevida longa foram retirados batendo. Os demais corações foram rejeitados dentro do período de variação dos grupos controles. CONCLUSÕES: O soro de cabra anti-soro anti-linfócitos do doador, com maior período de imunização, foi capaz de bloquear a resposta imune de rejeição dos corações transplantados nas doses de 1,0 e 3,0 ml. Os ratos que não promoveram a rejeição aguda dos corações transplantados não apresentaram anticorpos citotóxicos circulantes. O fator causador do bloqueio parace não estar vinculado aos bloqueios de citotoxicidade "in vitro" e do teor de precepitinas do SAL.

Prolongation of cardiac allograft survival in mice by HLA-derived peptide plus subtherapeutic CsA / 中华器官移植杂志

Objective To study the effect of synthetic HLA-derived peptide (P), HLA-B*2702.75-84, on the mean survival time (MST) of cardiac allografts in mice.Methods NIH mice cardiac allografts were heterotopically transplanted into the posterior of Balb/c ears. The HLA-derived peptide in combination with a subtherapeutic dose of CsA were perioperatively administrated. The pulsation of the cardiac allograft observed under the operating microscope was considered as the indication of the cardiac allograft surviving time or rejection. Results MST was ( 7.5? 0.5) days in untreated control group, ( 8.5? 1.5) days in CsA group and ( 7.0? 1.5) days in control peptide or P groups respectively, whereas MST was ( 26.5? 3.5) days in experimental group.Conclusion The synthetic HLA-derived peptide combined with subtherapeutic CsA can significantly prolong cardiac allograft survival in mice as compared with control groups.