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Updated: Aug 12, 2026
Use of Two Intracorporeal Ventricular Assist Devices As a Total Artificial Heart
Published on: May 11, 2018
Immune response changes with blood pump use in calves
1Artificial Heart Research Laboratory, University of Utah, Salt Lake City 84103-1414.
Insights
Total artificial heart (TAH) implantation transiently impacts calf immune function, decreasing neutrophils and altering inflammatory responses. These findings are crucial for understanding TAH-related infection risks in long-term device implantation.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Immunology
- Veterinary Science
Background:
- Device-related bacterial infections impede long-term total artificial heart (TAH) implantation.
- Calf models exhibit similar infection profiles and timelines to human TAH recipients.
- Understanding the immunological consequences of TAH implantation is critical for mitigating infection risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and TAH implantation on the immunologic function in calves.
- To assess changes in white blood cell counts, neutrophil function, and serum immunoglobulin levels post-procedure.
Main Methods:
- Two groups of Holstein steer calves were studied: CPB only (n=4) and CPB with TAH implantation (n=7).
- Immunologic parameters including total white blood cell count, hematocrit, neutrophil counts, neutrophil chemotaxis, hydrogen peroxide production, and serum immunoglobulin levels (IgG, IgM, IgA) were monitored over a 1-month period.
Main Results:
- Both procedures caused transient increases in white blood cell counts and decreases in hematocrit.
- Neutrophil counts declined in the TAH group, while neutrophil chemotaxis and hydrogen peroxide production showed transient increases post-procedure.
- Elevated hydrogen peroxide levels persisted in TAH animals from day 14 onwards; serum immunoglobulin levels remained largely unchanged in the TAH group.
Conclusions:
- TAH implantation in calves induces significant, albeit transient, alterations in innate immune function, particularly affecting neutrophils and inflammatory mediator production.
- These immunological changes may contribute to the increased susceptibility to device-related infections observed with TAH use.
- Further research is warranted to explore strategies for enhancing immune defense in TAH recipients to improve long-term outcomes.
Abstract:
Device-related bacterial infections are a significant deterrent to the long-term implantation of the total artificial heart (TAH). Device-related infections in the calf are caused by the same spectrum of organisms, over approximately the same time course, as those reported in man. We studied immunologic function in two groups of 3-4 month old, Holstein steer calves; four animals underwent cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) only and seven calves underwent CPB and TAH implantation. There was a transient rise in total white blood cell counts and a transient fall in the hematocrit following the procedures in each group. Absolute numbers of neutrophils in the TAH group declined to near or below preoperative levels by the end of the 1 month study period. There was a transient increase in chemotactic response of isolated neutrophils to bovine C5a immediately following CPB and increased hydrogen peroxide production on postoperative day 3. Hydrogen peroxide levels were elevated in the TAH animals from postoperative day 14 to the end of the study period. Serum immunoglobulin levels of IgG, IgM, and IgA did not change significantly during the study period in the TAH group. IgG levels were elevated after week 3 in the CPB group.
