Improvement in Coronary Allograft Vasculopathy Following Treatment with a Regimen Including Extracorporeal Photophoresis in a Heart Transplant Recipient

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Extracorporeal photophoresis (ECP) has been used for select heart transplant (HT) recipients with acute cellular rejection, recurrent or refractory rejection, antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) and as prophylactic therapy. Effects of ECP on coronary allograft vasculopathy (CAV) are not as well-described. Case Report A 48 year-old man with a history of familial cardiomyopathy required left ventricular assist device therapy and ultimately HT in 2001. He developed ISHLT CAV 1 (40% stenosis of LCx and RCA) with severe microvascular dysfunction detected on PET scan (MFR Total 1.14, LAD 1.11, LCx 0.98, RCA 1.40). He was started on treatment with everolimus, but progressive chronic kidney disease necessitated a change back to mycophenolate mofetil. Following this change, his chronic Class II DSA increased significantly and his renal function worsened requiring dialysis, during which time he also had COVID-19. He then presented in cardiogenic shock with ISHLT CAV 3 and pAMR 2 in July 2020 and was treated with an IABP, plasmapheresis, and thymoglobulin. He had recurrent pAMR 2 three months later, for which he was treated with plasmapheresis, bortezomib, rituximab, and ECP. Prior to initiation of ECP, his coronary angiogram demonstrated rapidly progressive ISHLT CAV 3 (80% proximal LAD, 80% ostial LCx, 70% OM1, and 80% mid RCA). Right heart catheterization demonstrated restrictive filling pressures and echocardiogram demonstrated normal graft systolic function. Four months following initiation of ECP therapy, repeat coronary angiography showed improvement of his CAV the stenosis in the pLAD had regressed to 50%, the proximal LCX stenosis had regressed to 50%, and disease in the distal circumflex artery had also improved (Figure). In our patient, ECP along with multiple other therapies was associated with significant regression of CAV. Even many years post-HT, CAV may be amenable to some therapies.