Colchicine Derivatives Allows Prolonged Survival of Cardiac Allograft in the Rat / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: Colchicine with its immunosupressive properties has been used with beneficial effects in autoimmune disease, such as Gout, etc. Whether colchicine, by virtue of the above property, could attenuate the process of cardiac allograft rejection in the rats is investigated in this report. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We compared the untreated group (Control, n=6), Cyclosporin A group (10 mg/kg, daily, n=20), and Colchicine derivative group (Colchicine 40 microgram/kg, n=20) of cardiac allografts in the rats. RESULT: In the untreated control group (n=6), all of 6 rats showed rejection within 3 weeks after cardiac allograft. In the cyclosporin A group (n=20), cyclosporin A (10 mg daily oral dose) was administered at a 10 mg daily oral dose and promoted long-term survival (over 100 days). The cyclosporin A group had one mortality at the 18th post-operative day due to infection. Furthermore, in the Colchicine derivatives group (n=20) with a daily IP (Intra Peritoneum) dose (40 ug/kg/day), we observed long-term survival.(>100 days), except for one rat that died of an anesthetic problem (respiratory failure) at the 9th post-operative day. CONCLUSION: Experiments have also been performed to evaluate whether the effect of colchicine derivatives allowed prolonged survival of cardiac allografts compared with the cyclosporin A administration group in the rats.

Experience of Reoperation after Valve Replacement Using Mechanical Heart Valve: 8 cases / 대한흉부외과학회지

Eight patients underwvnt reoperation after valve replacement surgery with a mechanical valve from January, 1992 to December, 2003. Among the various indications for reoperation, there were 4 patients with paravalvular leakage; 3 patients underwent resuturing of the area of leakage and one patient underwent redo valve replacement. Among the three patients with stenosis due to thrombosis of the valve, 2 patients underwent redo valve replacement and one patient underwent thrombectomy. In one patient, the valve functioned normally, but stenosis was caused by overgrowth of the patient and redo valve replacement was done 123 months later. There was no postoperative mortality or morbidity. After an average of 51 months (2~134 months) of postoperative follow up, the patients were in good condition and were able to maintain a NYHA functional class of I or II. The operative method used, whether it be a redo valve replacement or valve sparing method, depends upon the type of lesion and the anatomic structure.