Mild acute cellular rejection and development of cardiac allograft vasculopathy assessed by intravascular ultrasound and coronary angiography in heart transplant recipients-a SCHEDULE trial substudy

Laerke Marie Nelson, Arne Kristian Andreassen, Satish Arora, Bert Andersson, Einar Gude, Hans Eiskjaer, Göran Rådegran, Göran Dellgren, Lars Gullestad, Finn Gustafsson

Abstract

To evaluate the association between mild acute cellular rejection (ACR) and the development of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) after heart transplantation (HTx). Substudy of the SCHEDULE trial (n = 115), where de novo HTx recipients were randomized to (i) everolimus with early CNI elimination or (ii) CNI-based immunosuppression. Seventy-six patients (66%) were included based on matched intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) examinations at baseline and year 3 post-HTx. Biopsy-proven ACR within year 1 post-HTx was recorded and graded (1R, 2R, 3R). Development of CAV was assessed by IVUS and coronary angiography at year 3 post-HTx. Median age was 53 years (45-61), and 71% were male. ACR was recorded in 67%, and patients were grouped by rejection profile: no ACR (33%), only 1R (42%), and ≥2R (25%). Median ∆MIT (maximal intimal thickness)BL-3Y was not significantly different between groups (P = 0.84). The incidence of CAV was 49% by IVUS and 26% by coronary angiography with no significant differences between groups. No correlation was found between number of 1R and ∆MITBL-3Y (r = -0.025, P = 0.83). The number of 1R was not a significant predictor of ∆MITBL-3Y (P = 0.58), and no significant interaction with treatment was found (P = 0.98). The burden of mild ACR was not associated with CAV development.

Original languageEnglish
JournalTransplant international : official journal of the European Society for Organ Transplantation
Volume33
Issue number5
Pages (from-to)517-528
Number of pages12
ISSN0934-0874
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2020

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