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Transplant coronary artery disease in pediatric heart transplant recipients
C L Dent1, C E Canter, R Hirsch
1Department of Pediatrics, Division of Cardiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
Insights
Transplant coronary artery disease (TxCAD) is common in pediatric heart transplant recipients, with prevalence increasing over time post-transplant. Intracoronary ultrasound (ICUS) is a safe diagnostic tool for identifying TxCAD in this population.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pediatric Medicine
- Transplantation
Background:
- Transplant coronary artery disease (TxCAD) is a significant cause of long-term complications in adult heart transplant recipients.
- Intracoronary ultrasound (ICUS) is a sensitive diagnostic method for TxCAD in adults, but its pediatric application is less established.
- Limited data exists on the prevalence and risk factors of TxCAD in pediatric heart transplant patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of TxCAD in pediatric heart transplant recipients.
- To identify factors associated with the development of TxCAD in this population.
- To evaluate the utility of ICUS in diagnosing TxCAD in children.
Main Methods:
- Eighty-six ICUS and/or angiography studies were performed in 51 pediatric heart transplant patients.
- ICUS images were analyzed for intimal thickening, with any intimal thickening defined as TxCAD.
- Correlation between time from transplant and intimal measurements was assessed.
Main Results:
- TxCAD was detected in 63% of patients by ICUS, with 37% having Grade 2 or greater disease.
- A significant positive correlation was found between time from transplant and intimal index/maximal intimal thickening (p < 0.001).
- Prevalence reached 74% in patients studied at least 5 years post-transplant; no other predictive factors were identified.
Conclusions:
- TxCAD is common in pediatric heart transplant recipients, though potentially less prevalent than in adults at similar time points.
- Time from transplant is the primary factor associated with TxCAD development in children.
- ICUS is a safe and effective tool for diagnosing TxCAD in pediatric patients.
Background:
Transplant coronary artery disease (TxCAD) contributes to a large percentage of late morbidity and mortality among adult heart transplant recipients. Intracoronary ultrasound (ICUS) is a sensitive tool in the diagnosis of TxCAD in adult patients and has allowed analysis of factors contributing to disease development. Experience with ICUS in pediatrics, however, has been limited. By using ICUS we sought to determine the overall prevalence of TxCAD in pediatrics and to characterize factors associated with its development in this population.
Methods:
Eighty-six studies were performed in 51 pediatric patients a median of 3.4 years after heart transplantation. Evaluation included angiography and ICUS in 83 and angiography alone in 3 studies. Donor and recipient characteristics were obtained. The ICUS images were analyzed for intimal thickening and compared with coronary angiograms. The presence of any intimal thickening on ICUS was considered TxCAD. An intimal index and point of maximal intimal thickening (MIT) were measured. Vessel disease was graded 0 to 4 based on these results. Four patients had evidence of vasculopathy by angiography, whereas 32 patients (63%) had evidence of intimal proliferation by ICUS. Grade 2 or greater disease was present in 19 (37%) patients. A positive correlation was found when comparing time from transplant with intimal index and MIT (p < 0.001). No other factors were found to predict the development of disease. The overall prevalence of disease was 74% in patients studied at least 5 years after transplant. Intracoronary ultrasound can be performed safely in pediatric patients. Transplant coronary artery disease is common in infants and children after heart transplantation, although its prevalence appears to be less than in adult recipients at similar time intervals. We found no factor other than time from transplant was associated with development of disease.