Coronary Doppler measurements do not predict progression of cardiac allograft vasculopathy: analysis by serial intracoronary Doppler, dobutamine stress echocardiography, and intracoronary ultrasound.

Coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR) (maximum/baseline flow velocity, 16 microg adenosine) was compared with dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) (5 to 40 microg/kg/min) to assess the progression of angiographically silent cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV). As a reference for the morphologic assessment of CAV, serial intracoronary ultrasound (ICUS) measurements were performed. An increase in CFVR could be observed in all transplant patients despite morphologic or functional progression of CAV or non-progressive CAV as assessed by ICUS or DSE. Thus, serial intracoronary Doppler flow analysis is not useful to predict morphologic or functional progression of CAV.