ObjectiveTo analyze the short- and long-term therapeutic effects of heart transplantation in children. MethodsA retrospective study was conducted on recipients and donors who underwent heart transplantation at the 7th People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou from May 2018 to August 2023, analyzing their clinical characteristics, surgical data, postoperative complications, and survival rates. ResultsA total of 22 children underwent heart transplantation, including 14 males and 8 females, with a median age of 13.5 (10.0, 15.0) years and a median weight of 41.9 (30.5, 55.4) kg. The primary diseases included: dilated cardiomyopathy in 16 patients, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in 1 patient, myocardial dysplasia in 3 patients, right ventricular dysplasia in 1 patient, and congenital heart disease with abnormal coronary artery origin in 1 patient. The median age of the donors was 21.0 (13.0, 29.0) years, and the median weight was 50.5 (47.3, 75.0) kg. The blood types of the donors and recipients were the same, with type A in 10 patients, type B in 5 patients, type O in 5 patients, and type AB in 2 patients. Before transplantation, all children had a New York Heart Association cardiac function grade Ⅳ, with 1 patient assisted by intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP), 3 patients assisted by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), 2 patients assisted by continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), and 2 patients on mechanical ventilation. Nine patients met the criteria for emergency child status allocation, and the panel reactive antibody level in the patients was<10%. The median cold ischemic time of the donor heart was 355.0 (262.0, 395.5) min, the median aortic cross-clamping time was 45.0 (38.3, 51.3) min, the median mechanical ventilation time was 22.5 (16.8, 52.5) h, the median postoperative hospital stay was 29.5 (20.0, 43.0) d, and the median intensive care unit stay was 6.0 (5.0, 8.3) d. After surgery, 4 patients were assisted by ECMO, 2 patients by CRRT, and 7 patients developed complications, including lung fungal infection in 6 patients, liver and kidney dysfunction in 1 patient, local wound non-union and mediastinal infection in 1 patient, and multiple organ failure in 1 patient. Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that the survival rates of children after surgery were 91.3% at 1 year and 3 years; the survival rates of adult heart transplant recipients at our center were 86.7% and 73.8% at 1 year and 3 years, respectively, indicating that the survival rate of children with heart transplantation was higher than that of adult patients. ConclusionHeart transplantation is an effective treatment for end-stage heart failure in children, and the short- and long-term survival rates of children with heart transplantation are superior to those of adults. There are still many difficulties to be solved in pediatric heart transplantation, requiring joint efforts from society and the medical community.
Heart transplantation remains the most effective treatment for patients with end-stage heart failure. Over the past decade, significant advancements have been made in the field of heart transplant surgery. However, the enormous demand from heart failure patients and the severe shortage of available donor hearts continue to be major obstacles to the widespread application of heart transplantation. With the development of donor heart recovery, preservation, and evaluation techniques, the use of extended criteria donors and donation after circulatory death has increased. These technological advancements have expanded the safe ischemic time and geographic range for donor heart procurement, significantly enlarging the donor pool and driving a rapid increase in heart transplant cases. Concurrently, many new techniques have emerged in heart transplant surgery and perioperative management, particularly the rapid advancements in mechanical circulatory support and artificial intelligence, which hold the potential to revolutionize the field. This article reviews and discusses the current status and major surgical advancements in adult heart transplantation in the United States, aiming to provide insights and stimulate ongoing exploration and innovation in this field.
Objective To explore the impact of SARS-CoV-2-positive donors on the prognosis of heart transplant recipients. MethodsThe Medline, EMbase, CENTRAL, CNKI, Wanfang Data, VIP and China Biology Medicine from inception to May 2023 were searched by computer for studies about impact of SARS-CoV-2-positive donors on the prognosis of heart transplant recipients. The data were extracted from all the relevant literatures, and the quality of the data was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). All statistical analyses were conducted by the Stata 11.0 software. Results A total of 10 studies (NOS score ranging from 5 to 9 points) involving 643 patients were enrolled. The pooled results demonstrated that the pooled mortality of heart transplant recipients from SARS-CoV-2-positive donors was 4% (95%CI 2% to 5%). And the incidence of composite outcome, regarding graft failure, rejection and death as poor prognosis, was 7% (95%CI 5% to 9%). Besides, compared with recipients from SARS-CoV-2-negative donors, the pooled odds ratio (OR) value of death of SARS-CoV-2-positive donors was 0.68 (95%CI 0.38 to 1.22, Z=1.28, P=0.200). The pooled OR value of rejection rate was 0.41 (95%CI 0.27 to 0.64, Z=3.97, P<0.005). For the composite outcome, the pooled OR value was 0.50 (95%CI 0.37 to 0.69, Z=4.30, P<0.005). In addition, there was no statistical difference in the length of hospital stay between heart transplant recipients from SARS-CoV-2-positive donors and negative donors (SMD=–0.03, 95%CI –0.22 to 0.15, Z=0.36, P=0.720). Conclusion The application of heart from SARS-CoV-2-positive donor for transplantation is safe and feasible. However, further prospective studies with longer follow-up are still needed to verify its impact on long-term outcomes.
目的总结心脏移植和双肺移植供体心肺同时摘取的经验。 方法解放军第一八一医院心脏中心2012年完成3例同一供体心肺同时摘取，分别完成心脏移植和双肺移植各3例。3例供体为脑死亡，阻断供体升主动脉和主肺动脉后，同时灌注保护液，心脏保护应用组氨酸-色氨酸-酮戊二酸心脏停搏液（HTK液），肺保护应用低钾右旋糖酐液（LPD液）；供体心肺热缺血时间为5 min，供心冷缺血时间分别为252 min、323 min和375 min，供体肺冷缺血时间分别为610 min、679 min和738 min；3例心脏移植均采用双腔静脉吻合法，3例肺移植均采用序贯式双肺移植。 结果3例心脏移植均存活；肺移植2例存活，1例死亡。存活患者出院后生活质量良好，随访8～13个月未出现感染、急性排斥反应等并发症。 结论供体心肺同时摘取，同时灌注后分别修剪并再次灌注，分别保存运输，心脏移植和双肺移植可取得满意效果。
Abstract: Objective To study the antiacute rejection effect of Pachymic acid (PA) in heart transplantation rats, in order to select a new antirejection medicine with low side effect from traditional Chinese medicine. Methods We established the model by transplanting Wistar rats (32,donor) heart allografts into the abdomen of SD rats (32,receptor). The homologous hearttransplanted rats were then randomly divided into 4 groups with 16 rats in each group. Olive oil solution with PA 1 mg/(kg·d), PA 10 mg/(kg·d), Cyclosporine (CsA) 5 mg/(kg·d) and olive oil solution 0.5 ml/(kg·d) were respectively given intragastrically to lowdosage PA group, highdosage PA group, CsA group and the control group till the end of observation. Survival time of heart allografts, heart beating and the histological changes of allografts were examined and serum level of interleukin2 (IL-2) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were determined by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results Survival time in the highdosage PA group, the lowdosage PA group and the CsA group were 24.90±0.99 d, 15.50±1.60 d and 26.80±0.88 d respectively, which is much better than the control group (6.10±1.10 d, q=22.363, P=0.000; q=44.793, P=0.000; q=49.272,P=0.000). IL-2 serum level in the highdosage PA group, the lowdosage PA group and the CsA group were all lower than that in the control group (q=14.483, P=0.000; q=3.705, P=0.000; =21.418,P=0.000), whileIL-2 serum level in the highdosage group was lower than that in the lowdosage group (q=10.778,P=0.000). Similarly, IFN-γ serum level in the first three groups were all lower than that in the control group (q=16.508,P=0000; q=4.281, P=0.000;q=19.621, P=0.000) and IFNγ serum level in the highdosage group was also lower than that in the lowdosage group (q=14.975, P=0.000). Pathological examination 7 days after the surgery showed that pathologic lesion was much more relieved in the two PA groups and the CsA group than the control group. Conclusion Acute rejection of heart transplantation can be effectively suppressed by PA.
Objective To investigate the effect of interleukin-10 （IL-10） gene transfer on expression of CD44, selectin-E, lymphocyte function associated antigen-1 （LFA-1）, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 （VCAM-1） in mice heart transplantation rejection. Methods Model of mice cervical heterotopic heart transplantation was set up, 96 mice were divided into three groups with random number table, control group： heart transplantation between C57 mice; transplant group： heart from BALB/C mice transplant to C57 mice; IL-10 group： IL-10 was transfected on BALB/C mice isolated heart for 1 hour, then transplanted to C57 mice. The messenger ribonucleic acid （mRNA） level expression of CD44 ,selectin-E ,LFA-1 ,VCAM-1 and IL-10 were measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR） at the 5th day after transplantation. Results The mRNA level expression of CD44, selectin-E ,LFA-1 ,VCAM-1 in transplant group were significantly increased than those in control group （P〈0.01）. The mRNA level expression of CD44, selectin-E, LFA-1 ,VCAM-1 in IL-10 group were significantly decreased than those in transplant group （P〈0.01）. Conclusion IL-10 gene transfer is able to decrease the expression of CD44, selectin-E,LFA-1 ,VCAM-1 and suppress the heart transplantation rejection in mice.
ObjectiveTo explore the correlation between perioperative blood transfusion and acute kidney injury (AKI) after heart transplantation.MethodsA retrospective study was performed on 67 patients who underwent heart transplantation in the Department of Cardiac Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital from January 2016 to December 2018, and finally 63 patients were included according to the exclusion criteria. There were 53 males and 10 females with an average age of 44.3±12.9 years. Twenty patients who adopted continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) after heart transplantation were divided into a RT group and the other 43 patients who did not use CRRT were divided into a non-RT group. Baseline characteristics, perioperative blood transfusion data and clinical prognosis were compared between the two groups.ResultsThe preoperative baseline characteristics of the two groups were basically the same. There were significant differences in perioperative infusion of red blood cells and plasma, postoperative 24 h bleeding and re-exploration (P<0.05) between the two groups. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.923 (95%CI 0.852 to 0.995, P<0.001). The ROC curve showed that perioperative infusion of red blood cells more than 18 mL/kg would increase the incidence of AKI after heart transplantation.ConclusionPerioperative blood transfusion is closely related to AKI after heart transplantation. The more blood transfusion is in clinics, the higher incidence of renal injury is and the worse prognosis is. It is suggested that various blood-saving measures can be carried out.
Objective To summarize the experiences of donor heart procurement of heart transplantation so as to improve the efficiency of donor heart protection. [WTHZ]Methods [WTBZ]From April 2002 to October 2006, sixtyone patients with endstage heart disease had undergone orthotopic heart transplantation. Donors were all male brain deaths, aged from 21 to 53, and 5 of them were older than 40. There were 6 cases in which the weight difference between donor and recipient＞20%, and the rest ≤±20%. Fortyfive cases had the same ABO blood type, and 16 had matching ABO blood type. Four donor hearts were procured under the condition of stable hemodynamics and enough oxygen after brain death(typeⅠ), fortyfour donor hearts were procured under the condition of brain death with acute hemorrhage and hypovolemia (typeⅡ), and 13 donor hearts were procured under the condition of brain death with cardiac arrest (typeⅢ). Twenty cases underwent standard transplantation procedure, one underwent total heart transplantation procedure and 40 underwent bicaval transplantation procedure. The donor heart cold ischemic period ranged from 52 to 347 min（92±31 min）, and 13 cases were more than 240 min. Results Two cases died of low cardiac output syndrome on 7th and 9th day after operation respectively, and their donor heart cold ischemic period were 327 and 293 min respectively. The rest of patients all recovered and discharged. One died of acute rejection on 18th month after operation because of rejecting immunosuppressive agents, and 1 died in traffic accident on 23rd month after transplantation. The rest 57 cases survived 6-59 months(mean 35 months), and had good life quality with NYHA cardiac function classification in 0-I grade. Conclusions Heart transplantation with donor aged over 40 may also have satisfactory results. Patients with endstage dilated cardiomyopathy can procure donor heartsfrom donors with heavy weight. Using different techniques to procure donor hearts may furthest reduce myocardial injury. Donor hearts which have been protected by myocardium protecting liquid for a long time should be used with caution.