BACKGROUND: There is conflicting evidence on the role of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) use in the development of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV). METHODS: A nationwide prospective two-center study investigated changes in the coronary artery vasculature by highly automated 3-D optical coherence tomography (OCT) analysis at 1 month and 12 months after heart transplant (HTx). The influence of ASA use on coronary artery microvascular changes was analyzed in the overall study cohort and after propensity score matching for selected clinical CAV risk factors. RESULTS: In total, 175 patients (mean age 52 ± 12 years, 79% male) were recruited. During the 1-year follow-up, both intimal and media thickness progressed, with ASA having no effect on its progression. However, detailed OCT analysis revealed that ASA use was associated with a lower increase in lipid plaque (LP) burden (p = .013), while it did not affect the other observed pathologies. Propensity score matching of 120 patients (60 patient pairs) showed similar results, with ASA use associated with lower progression of LPs (p = .002), while having no impact on layered fibrotic plaque (p = .224), calcification (p = .231), macrophage infiltration (p = .197), or the absolute coronary artery risk score (p = .277). According to Kaplan-Meier analysis, ASA use was not associated with a significant difference in survival (p = .699) CONCLUSION: This study showed a benefit of early ASA use after HTx on LP progression. However, ASA use did not have any impact on the progression of other OCT-observed pathologies or long-term survival.

• MeSH
• alografty patologie   MeSH
• aterosklerotický plát * komplikace   MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• koronární angiografie MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nemoci koronárních tepen * etiologie   MeSH
• optická koherentní tomografie škodlivé účinky   metody   MeSH
• prospektivní studie MeSH
• transplantace srdce * škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

BACKGROUND: The association between genetic polymorphisms and early cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) development is relatively unexplored. Identifi cation of genes involved in the CAV process may offer new insights into pathophysiology and lead to a wider range of therapeutic options. METHODS: This prospective study of 109 patients investigated 44 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the susceptibility loci potentially related to coronary artery disease, carotid artery intima-media thickness (cIMT), and in nitric oxide synthase gene. Genotyping was done by the Fluidigm SNP Type assays and Fluidigm 48.48 Dynamic Array IFC. The intima thickness progression (IT) was evaluated by coronary optical coherence tomography (OCT) performed 1 month and 12 months after heart transplantation (HTx). RESULTS: During the fi rst post-HTx year, the mean intima thickness (IT) increased by 24.0 ± 34.2 μm (p < 0.001) and lumen area decreased by ‒0.9 ± 1.8 mm2 (p < 0.001). The rs1570360 (A/G) SNP of the vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) gene showed the strongest association with intima thickness progression, even in the presence of the traditional CAV risk factors. SNPs previously related to carotid artery intima-media thickness rs11785239 (PRAG1), rs6584389 (PAX2), rs13225723 (LINC02577) and rs17477177 (CCDC71L), were among the fi ve most signifi cantly associated with IT progression but lost their signifi cance once traditional CAV risk factors had been added. CONCLUSION: Results of this study suggest that genetic variability may play an important role in CAV development. The vascular endothelial growth factor A gene SNP rs1570360 showed the strongest association with intima thickness (IT) progression measured by OCT, even in the presence of the traditional CAV risk factors (Tab. 3, Fig. 3, Ref. 36).

Background and Objectives: Iron deficiency (ID) is a common comorbidity in patients with heart failure. It is associated with reduced physical performance, frequent hospitalisations for heart failure decompensation, and high cardiovascular and overall mortality. The aim was to determine the prevalence of ID in patients with advanced heart failure on the waiting list for heart transplantation. Methods and Materials: We included 52 patients placed on the waiting list for heart transplantation in 2021 at our centre. The cohort included seven patients with LVAD (left ventricle assist device) as a bridge to transplantation implanted before the time of results collection. In addition to standard tests, the parameters of iron metabolism were monitored. ID was defined as a ferritin value <100 μg/L, or 100-299 μg/L if transferrin saturation (T-sat) is <20%. Results: ID was present in 79% of all subjects, but only in 35% of these patients anaemia was expressed. In the group without LVAD, ID was present in 82%, a median (lower-upper quartile) of ferritin level was 95.4 (62.2-152.1) μg/mL and mean T-sat was 0.18 ± 0.09. In LVAD group, ID was present in 57%, ferritin level was 268 (106-368) μg/mL and mean T-sat was 0.14 ± 0.04. Haemoglobin concentration was the same in patients with or without ID (133 ± 16) vs. (133 ± 23). ID was not associated with anaemia defined with regard to patient's gender. In 40.5% of cases, iron deficiency was accompanied by chronic renal insufficiency, compared to 12.5% of the patients without ID. In the patients with LVAD, ID was present in four out of seven patients, but the group was too small for reliable statistical testing due to low statistical power. Conclusions: ID was present in the majority of patients with advanced heart failure and was not always accompanied by anaemia and renal insufficiency. Research on optimal markers for the diagnosis of iron deficiency, especially for specific groups of patients with heart failure, is still ongoing.

• MeSH
• anemie z nedostatku železa * komplikace   epidemiologie   MeSH
• anemie * komplikace   MeSH
• deficit železa * MeSH
• ferritin MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• srdeční selhání * komplikace   epidemiologie   diagnóza   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) and malignancy are recognized among the most common complications increasing mortality in patients after heart transplantation (HTx). Clinical trials have shown a higher risk for different types of tumours in diabetic patients. This risk is potentiated by immunosuppressive therapy in transplant patients. Biguanide metformin has been shown to exhibit anti-tumour activity and we tried to fi nd out whether this effect is valid for heart transplant patients. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed a group of 497 patients, who undergone HTx in our centre between 1998 and 2019. The primary outcome was any malignancy during the 15-year follow-up period and patient’s survival. RESULTS: Out of the 497 patients enrolled in the study, 279 (56 %) had diabetes and 52 (19 %) were treated with metformin. Fifteen-year survival in treated patients without malignancy was 93 %, the remainder for the DM patients was 56 %, with survival in non-DM patients being 74 %. Untreated diabetic patients had 4.7 times higher chance of malignancy than those on metformin (p = 0.01). Fifteen-year survival in metformin treated patients was 53 %, in other DM patients 44 %, and in non-DM patients 51 %. CONCLUSION: Our study showed a signifi cantly lower incidence of malignancies in metformin-treated patients and slightly better overall survival (Tab. 2, Fig. 3, Ref. 19).

INTRODUCTION: Recent studies suggested potential positive correlations between HLA-specific antibodies and development of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV). METHODS: This prospective two-center study investigated early progression of CAV by coronary optical coherence tomography in 1 month and 12 months after heart transplantation (HTx) in 104 patients. Detection and characterization of donor specific (DSA) and MHC class-I polypeptide-related sequence A (MICA) antibodies were performed before, 1, 6 and 12 months after transplantation. RESULTS: During the first post-HTx year, we observed a significant reduction in the mean coronary luminal area (P < .001), and progression in mean intimal thickness (IT) (P < .001). DSA and anti-MICA occurred in 17% of all patients, but no significant relationship was observed between presence of DSA/anti-MICA and IT progression within 12 months after HTx. In contrast, we observed significant association between presence of DSA (p=0.031), de-novo DSA (p=0.031), HLA Class II DSA (p=0.017) and media thickness (MT) progression. CONCLUSION: Results of our study did not identify a direct association between presence of DSA/anti-MICA and intimal thickness progression in an early period after HTx. However, we found significant relationships between DSA and media thickness progression that may identify a newly recognized immune-pathological aspect of CAV.

• MeSH
• alografty MeSH
• dárci tkání MeSH
• HLA antigeny MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• optická koherentní tomografie * MeSH
• prospektivní studie MeSH
• rejekce štěpu diagnóza   MeSH
• retrospektivní studie MeSH
• transplantace srdce * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH

BACKGROUND: An increasing number of patients are receiving left ventricle assist devices as a bridge to heart transplantation. The aim of this study was to determine the difference between patients who received transplants from a left ventricle assist device and those who underwent heart transplantation without a prior left ventricle assist device implantation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included patients who underwent heart transplantation in our institute between January 2010 and November 2018. The following clinical variables were evaluated: donor characteristics, patient's pre-transplant demographical data, post-transplant data, and patient survival. Cardiac allograft vasculopathy progression was prospectively examined (after 1 month and 12 months after heart transplantation) by coronary optical coherence tomography. We were interested in the difference in 1- and 5-year survival between the left ventricle assist device and non-left ventricle assist device groups. RESULTS: A total of 248 patients were identified; out of them, 48 patients received a left ventricle assist device before heart transplantation, whereas 200 had transplants with no prior left ventricle assist device implantation. There were no significant differences in any donor characteristics. The mean duration of cardiopulmonary bypass time in the non-left ventricle assist device group was 156 versus 175 min in the left ventricle assist device group (p = 0.009), blood loss was 650 versus 1045 mL (p < 0.001), the need to implant an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was 10% versus 23% (p = 0.02). There was no difference in cardiac allograft vasculopathy progression between the groups 1 year after heart transplantation (p = 0.528). The 1- and 5-year survival, according to Kaplan-Meier, was 80% and 70% in the left ventricle assist device group, compared to 80% and 73%, respectively, in the non-left ventricle assist device group (Log-rank test: p = 0.945). CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that patients undergoing heart transplantation from left ventricle assist devices suffer significantly more from intraoperative and post-operative complications; however, only insignificant cardiac allograft vasculopathy progression and survival differences between the two groups were observed.

• MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• podpůrné srdeční systémy * MeSH
• pooperační komplikace mortalita   MeSH
• retrospektivní studie MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• srdeční selhání mortalita   chirurgie   MeSH
• transplantace srdce * MeSH
• výsledek terapie MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

BACKGROUND Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is a cardiac syndrome characterized by transient left ventricle (LV) dysfunction, typically showing apical ballooning due to apical akinesis with preserved basal segment contractility. The inverted form is very uncommon and is characterized by basal segment hypokinesis or akinesis and normal LV apical segment contractility. CASE REPORT We describe the case of a 49-year-old woman who developed inverted TTC after orthotopic liver transplantation. On day 1 (D1), dyspnea and oliguria suddenly appeared. A chest X-ray showed pulmonary edema, and echocardiography showed severe systolic LV dysfunction with an estimated ejection fraction of approximately 25% and akinesis of basal and midventricular LV segments, normal apical segment contractility, and mild mitral regurgitation. Elevated troponin T, creatine kinase-MB, and N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide were found in the blood sample. Suspected inverted takotsubo cardiomyopathy was confirmed by left ventriculography, with normal apical part motion, akinesis in the other LV parts, and negative coronary angiography. The echocardiographic findings returned to normal on D14, and the patient was discharged from the hospital on D19 with normal LV motion and an ejection fraction of 65%. The transplanted liver function was excellent. CONCLUSIONS Organ transplantation is connected with a great emotional stress because the patient's life depends on the death of another person. Therefore, we have to think about the possibility of stress cardiomyopathy even after liver transplantation, because early diagnosis and treatment can be life-saving for the patient. To our knowledge, this is the first described case of inverted takotsubo cardiomyopathy after liver transplantation.

• MeSH
• echokardiografie MeSH
• kardiomyopatie * MeSH
• koronární angiografie MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• takotsubo kardiomyopatie * diagnóza   etiologie   MeSH
• transplantace jater * škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• kazuistiky MeSH

Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is characterized by marked intimal proliferation and concentric vascular thickening and fibrosis. CAV remains the leading cause of late morbidity and mortality in heart transplant recipients. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a new generation catheter-based modality that acquires images at a spatial resolution of 10-20 μm which is 10-fold greater than that of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). OCT is currently the most sensitive imaging technique for early CAV detection. Recent studies proved that circulating HLA directed donor-specific antibodies correlate with increased mortality and CAV. Contradiction of scientific results has been reported regarding increased resting heart rate and development of cardiac allograft vasculopathy. Larger prospective studies using more sensitive CAV detecting methods are required to enhance our understanding. Recent results show that novel immunosuppressants, mTOR inhibitors, may attenuate CAV progression and may improve long-term allograft survival owing to favorable coronary remodeling.

Koronární nemoc srdečního štěpu (KNSŠ) se vyznačuje významnou intimální prolileferací, koncentrickým ztluštěním a fibrózou. KNSŠ zůstává hlavní příčinou pozdní morbidity a mortality pacientů po transplantaci srdce. Optická koherentní tomografie (OCT) je novou katetrizační zobrazovací metodou, která získává obraz s prostorovým rozlišením 10 až 20 um, což představuje desetkrát detailnější zobrazení, než které nabízí intravaskulární ultrazvuk (IVUS). OCT je v současné době nejcitlivější zobrazovací technikou časné detekce KNSŠ. Nedávné studie prokázaly, že cirkulující přítomnost donor specifických HLA protilátek je spojena se zvýšenou úmrtností a rozvojem KNSŠ. V otázce spojitosti zvýšené srdeční frekvence s rozvojem KNSŠ, jsou literární nálezy rozporné. K tomu, abychom lépe porozuměli tomuto onemocnění, je potřeba větších prospektivních studií využívajících citlivějších metod detekujících KNSŠ. Nová imunosupresiva, mTOR inhibitory, mohou zmírnit progresi KNSŠ a mohou zlepšit dlouhodobé přežití srdečního štěpu díky příznivé remodelaci koronárních tepen.

• MeSH
• alografty MeSH
• koronární nemoc diagnostické zobrazování   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nemoc štěpu proti hostiteli diagnostické zobrazování   MeSH
• optická koherentní tomografie metody   MeSH
• protilátky MeSH
• srdeční frekvence MeSH
• transplantace srdce MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH

• Konspekt
• Patologie. Klinická medicína
• NLK Obory
• kardiologie
• transplantologie
• radiologie, nukleární medicína a zobrazovací metody
• NLK Publikační typ
• závěrečné zprávy o řešení grantu AZV MZ ČR

INTRODUCTION: Heart rate slowing agents are frequently prescribed to manage heart transplant (HTx) patients with the assumption that higher heart rate is a risk factor in cardiovascular disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This prospective two-center study investigated early progression of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) in 116 HTx patients. Examinations by coronary optical coherence tomography and 24-hour ambulatory ECG monitoring were performed both at baseline (1 month after HTx) and during follow-up (12 months after HTx). RESULTS: During the first post-HTx year, we observed a significant reduction in the mean coronary luminal area from 9.0 ± 2.5 to 8.0 ± 2.4 mm2 (P < .001), and progression in mean intimal thickness (IT) from 106.5 ± 40.4 to 130.1 ± 53.0 μm (P < .001). No significant relationship was observed between baseline and follow-up mean heart rates and IT progression (R = .02, P = .83; R = -.13, P = .18). We found a mild inverse association between beta-blocker dosage at 12 months and IT progression (R = -.20, P = .035). CONCLUSION: Our study did not confirm a direct association between mean heart rate and progression of CAV. The role of beta blockers warrants further investigation, with our results indicating that they may play a protective role in early CAV development.

• MeSH
• alografty MeSH
• koronární angiografie MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nemoci koronárních tepen * diagnostické zobrazování   etiologie   MeSH
• optická koherentní tomografie MeSH
• prospektivní studie MeSH
• srdeční frekvence MeSH
• transplantace srdce * škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH