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1.
The pharmaceutical management of cardiac allograft vasculopathy after heart transplantation.
Spitaleri, G, Farrero Torres, M, Sabatino, M, Potena, L
Expert opinion on pharmacotherapy. 2020;(11):1367-1376
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is a major limitation to long-term survival after heart transplantation. Its peculiar pathophysiology involves multifactorial pathways including immune-mediated and metabolic risk factors, which are associated with the development of specific pathological lesions. The often diffuse and chronic nature of the disease reduces the effectiveness of revascularization procedures, and pharmacological prevention of the disease is the sole therapeutic approach with some proven efficacy. AREAS COVERED In this article, after briefly outlining the risk factors for CAV, the authors revise the potential pharmacological approaches that may reduce the burden of CAV. While several therapies have shown convincing efficacy in terms of CAV prevention diagnosed by coronary imaging, very few have been reported to improve prognosis with any meaningful level of evidence. EXPERT OPINION The authors believe that a customizable approach is necessary for clinical practice given the currently available evidence. Furthermore, it is important, in the future, to address the glaring therapeutic gap of an effective treatment against donor-specific antibodies, whose effect on endothelial injury is currently one of the major mechanisms of CAV development and for which no pharmacological treatment is currently available.
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2.
A peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) arising as a post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder: efficacy of pralatrexate in primary refractory disease and review of the literature.
Ma, H, Bhagat, G, O'Connor, OA
Leukemia & lymphoma. 2019;(13):3300-3303
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3.
Hypertension in Patients with Cardiac Transplantation.
Bennett, AL, Ventura, HO
The Medical clinics of North America. 2017;(1):53-64
Abstract
Hypertension is a common complication among post cardiac transplant recipients affecting more than 95% of patients. Increased blood pressure poses a significant cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in these patients; it should be identified quickly and needs to be managed appropriately. Understanding the pathophysiology and contributing factors to this disease in these complex and unique patients is the key to appropriate treatment selection.
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4.
The Path From Heart Failure to Cardiac Transplant.
Freeman, R, Koerner, E, Clark, C, Halabicky, K
Critical care nursing quarterly. 2016;(3):207-13
Abstract
Heart failure is a progressive and fatal disease impacting millions of American each year. Divided into stages, heart failure presents with progressive symptoms requiring a wide range of medical treatments. Treatments include diet and lifestyle changes, medications, electrical therapies (defibrillator and/or cardiac resynchronization therapy), as well as mechanical circulatory support. Cardiac transplant is the gold standard treatment of heart failure, although the availability of donors limits the utility of a cardiac transplant. This article outlines heart failure treatments and the indications, contraindications, and pretransplant evaluation for a cardiac transplant. Information on the allocation of donor hearts and donor characteristics is also included for the reader.
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5.
Review of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation Practice guidelines for management of heart failure in children.
Colan, SD
Cardiology in the young. 2015;:154-9
Abstract
In 2004, practice guidelines for the management of heart failure in children by Rosenthal and colleagues were published in conjunction with the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. These guidelines have not been updated or reviewed since that time. In general, there has been considerable controversy as to the utility and purpose of clinical practice guidelines, but there is general recognition that the relentless progress of medicine leads to the progressive irrelevance of clinical practice guidelines that do not undergo periodic review and updating. Paediatrics and paediatric cardiology, in particular, have had comparatively minimal participation in the clinical practice guidelines realm. As a result, most clinical practice guidelines either specifically exclude paediatrics from consideration, as has been the case for the guidelines related to cardiac failure in adults, or else involve clinical practice guidelines committees that include one or two paediatric cardiologists and produce guidelines that cannot reasonably be considered a consensus paediatric opinion. These circumstances raise a legitimate question as to whether the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation paediatric heart failure guidelines should be re-reviewed. The time, effort, and expense involved in producing clinical practice guidelines should be considered before recommending an update to the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation Paediatric Heart Failure guidelines. There are specific areas of rapid change in the evaluation and management of heart failure in children that are undoubtedly worthy of updating. These domains include areas such as use of serum and imaging biomarkers, wearable and implantable monitoring devices, and acute heart failure management and mechanical circulatory support. At the time the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation guidelines were published, echocardiographic tissue Doppler, 3 dimensional imaging, and strain and strain rate were either novel or non-existent and have now moved into the main stream. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) had very limited availability, and since that time imaging and assessment of myocardial iron content, delayed gadolinium enhancement, and extracellular volume have moved into the mainstream. The only devices discussed in the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation guidelines were extracorporeal membrane oxygenators, pacemakers, and defibrillators. Since that time, ventricular assist devices have become mainstream. Despite the relative lack of randomised controlled trials in paediatric heart failure, advances continue to occur. These advances warrant implementation of an update and review process, something that is best done under the auspices of the national and international cardiology societies. A joint activity that includes the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association, the Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology (AEPC), European Society of Cardiology, Canadian Cardiovascular Society, and others will have more credibility than independent efforts by any of these organisations.
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6.
Update for 2014 on clinical cardiology, geriatric cardiology, and heart failure and transplantation.
Barón-Esquivias, G, Manito, N, López Díaz, J, Martín Santana, A, García Pinilla, JM, Gómez Doblas, JJ, Gómez Bueno, M, Barrios Alonso, V, Lambert, JL
Revista espanola de cardiologia (English ed.). 2015;(4):317-23
Abstract
In the present article, we review publications from the previous year in the following 3 areas: clinical cardiology, geriatric cardiology, and heart failure and transplantation. Among the new developments in clinical cardiology are several contributions from Spanish groups on tricuspid and aortic regurgitation, developments in atrial fibrillation, syncope, and the clinical characteristics of heart disease, as well as various studies on familial heart disease and chronic ischemic heart disease. In geriatric cardiology, the most relevant studies published in 2014 involve heart failure, degenerative aortic stenosis, and data on atrial fibrillation in the geriatric population. In heart failure and transplantation, the most noteworthy developments concern the importance of multidisciplinary units and patients with preserved systolic function. Other notable publications were those related to iron deficiency, new drugs, and new devices and biomarkers. Finally, we review studies on acute heart failure and transplantation, such as inotropic drugs and ventricular assist devices.
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7.
2013 update on congenital heart disease, clinical cardiology, heart failure, and heart transplant.
Subirana, MT, Barón-Esquivias, G, Manito, N, Oliver, JM, Ripoll, T, Lambert, JL, Zunzunegui, JL, Bover, R, García-Pinilla, JM
Revista espanola de cardiologia (English ed.). 2014;(3):211-7
Abstract
This article presents the most relevant developments in 2013 in 3 key areas of cardiology: congenital heart disease, clinical cardiology, and heart failure and transplant. Within the area of congenital heart disease, we reviewed contributions related to sudden death in adult congenital heart disease, the importance of specific echocardiographic parameters in assessing the systemic right ventricle, problems in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot and indication for pulmonary valve replacement, and confirmation of the role of specific factors in the selection of candidates for Fontan surgery. The most recent publications in clinical cardiology include a study by a European working group on correct diagnostic work-up in cardiomyopathies, studies on the cost-effectiveness of percutaneous aortic valve implantation, a consensus document on the management of type B aortic dissection, and guidelines on aortic valve and ascending aortic disease. The most noteworthy developments in heart failure and transplantation include new American guidelines on heart failure, therapeutic advances in acute heart failure (serelaxin), the management of comorbidities such as iron deficiency, risk assessment using new biomarkers, and advances in ventricular assist devices.
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8.
Lactobacillus probiotic use in cardiothoracic transplant recipients: a link to invasive Lactobacillus infection?
Luong, ML, Sareyyupoglu, B, Nguyen, MH, Silveira, FP, Shields, RK, Potoski, BA, Pasculle, WA, Clancy, CJ, Toyoda, Y
Transplant infectious disease : an official journal of the Transplantation Society. 2010;(6):561-4
Abstract
Organisms contained in probiotics are generally regarded as non-pathogenic and safe to administer. However, increasing reports of probiotic-associated infection raise concern over the safety of these products. We report a case of Lactobacillus empyema in a human immunodeficiency virus-infected lung transplant recipient receiving a probiotic containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. We compare the epidemiology of Lactobacillus infections in heart and lung transplant recipients at our institution before and after the introduction of this probiotic, and discuss the potential mechanism for Lactobacillus within the probiotic to cause infections and disseminate.
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9.
The usefulness of chronic heart failure treatments in chronic cardiac graft failure.
Najam, O, Yonan, N, Williams, SG, Shaw, SM
Cardiovascular therapeutics. 2010;(1):48-58
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Abstract
Following cardiac transplantation, registry data has demonstrated a gradual improvement in survival over the last several decades, which is testament to continual improvement in aftercare strategy. However, a significant number of patients will eventually develop a new syndrome of chronic heart failure, owing to the multitude of physiological processes that occur after transplantation. This condition, referred to as chronic graft failure (CGF) should be regarded as a unique illness rather than one that is simply analogous with chronic heart failure. In particular, the unique pathophysiological (and pharmacological) environment in the setting of CGF presents a challenging situation to the transplant physician. There is uncertainty over which treatments to offer given a paucity of clinical trial data to support the use of standard heart failure treatments in CGF. In this review, we discuss which chronic heart failure treatments could be considered in the setting of CGF based on their mechanisms of action, benefits within the native heart failure setting, and the relevant issues within the posttransplant environment.
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10.
Brain death and donor heart dysfunction: implications in cardiac transplantation.
Apostolakis, E, Parissis, H, Dougenis, D
Journal of cardiac surgery. 2010;(1):98-106
Abstract
AIM: In this article, the hemodynamic, humoral, and immunological perturbations following brain death (BD) are going to be discussed in a stepwise manner. MATERIALS AND METHODS BD produces derangements in cardiac function, through a not-yet-well-explained mechanism. Using literature review, we attempted to delineate the "pathophysiology" involved. RESULTS A severe a-adrenergic stimulation following catecholamine storm results in conditions such that the pulmonary capillary pressure is massively increased. Furthermore, cytokine up-regulation, endothelial expression molecules, and neutrophil infiltration produce tissue damage. The end result reflects myocardial necrosis due to reduction of the calcium ATPase activity that leads to myocyte calcium overload and cell death. CONCLUSIONS Delineation of the mechanisms responsible for donor heart dysfunction (DHD) would be presented. Furthermore, an attempt would be made to apply this knowledge into the clinical practice in order to increase the suitability of donor hearts for transplantation.