Transplantation of "high-risk" donor hearts: Implications for infection

Heart transplantation is the gold-standard treatment for end-stage heart failure. Short- and long-term outcomes have been excellent, but the shortage of organs persists. The number of potential recipients who die while awaiting orthotopic heart transplantation increases yearly. In 2004, the label "high-risk donor" (HRD) was applied, by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), to any organ donor who met the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) criteria for behavior that put them at high risk of infection. Despite organ shortages, grafts from HRD CDCs are often declined, because of concerns regarding infection. We undertook this study to analyze our extensive experience with orthotopic heart transplantation of grafts from HRD CDCs, and to determine the short- and long-term outcomes associated with recipients of hearts from HRD CDCs, particularly transmission of infection.

We performed 367 heart transplantations at our center from September 2008 to September 2014, a timeframe during which the HRD CDC labeling had been implemented. Of the total number of orthotopic heart transplantations performed, 55 patients (15%) received organs from HRD CDCs that had known negative serology for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. We reviewed demographic, perioperative, and short- and long-term outcomes. The recipients of grafts from HRD CDCs were followed closely, with 3- and 12-month surveillance laboratory testing of viral load for HIV, for hepatitis B, and for hepatitis C core- and surface-antigen serology.

All 55 patients (72.7% were men) underwent a successful transplantation procedure. One patient was excluded from follow-up analysis because he was re-transplanted within 4 days owing to the posttransplant finding of metastatic lung adenocarcinoma within the donor. Primary etiology of heart failure was ischemic in 18 of the patients. The most common blood type was O positive, in 20 patients (37.1%), followed by A positive, in 19 patients (35.2%). A total of 19 (35.2%) patients were supported with a mechanical assist device before the transplantation. The average allograft ischemic time was 173 ± 96 minutes. The median length of hospital stay was 19.5 days. A low incidence was observed of the postoperative complications of stroke (1.9%), dialysis (3.9%), and complete heart block (3.9%). Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated excellent survival, both short-term (1 year; 94%) and long-term (3 years; 80%). Allograft function was excellent at time of discharge with a left ejection fraction of 67.8% ± 7.3%. Only one patient (1.9%) was noted to have hepatitis C seroconversion at 105 days after receiving the transplant. After antiviral treatment, the patient has had undetectable viral loads to date. All other patients had undetectable plasma viral loads of HIV, hepatitis C, and hepatitis B, determined using rigorous testing.

We present the only single-center series on recipients of heart transplants from HRD CDCs. This potential source of suitable donor organs is shown to lead to excellent survival, without an increased incidence of perioperative or postoperative complications. Furthermore, the risk of transmission of infection from donors in this subgroup seems to be minimal.