BACKGROUND: Naive coronary vessels may appear to have intimal thickening histologically characteristic of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV). This study appraises the experimental and clinical impact of this observation. METHODS: Tissue sections from 12 naive hearts of miniature swine, 13 native porcine hearts of recipients of heterotopic cardiac allografts, 3 native human hearts and 3 human hearts with CAV were compared with light microscopy and morphometric analysis. Results were also compared with morphometric data previously gathered from 3 grafts in a standard experimental model of CAV (rejectors) and 3 grafts harvested from swine rendered tolerant to their donor hearts (chimeras). RESULTS: In the naive and native porcine hearts, the prevalence of CAV "mimics" was 0% to 6.94% (mean +/- SD: 1.99 +/- 1.97%) and 0% to 7.57% (2.97 +/- 2.20%), respectively (p = 0.12). The prevalence of CAV in the grafts of porcine rejectors and chimeras was 9.9% to 14.8% (12.4 +/- 2.5%) and 0.6% to 4.5% (2.6 +/- 2.0%), respectively (p < 0.05). CAV in the chimeras was similar in prevalence to that of the naive and native hearts. In native human hearts and human grafts, the prevalence was 1.86% to 2.00% (1.95 +/- 0.08%) and 9.09% to 17.50% (12.80 +/- 4.29%), respectively (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Smooth muscle bundles inside the internal elastic laminae are similarly prevalent in human and porcine coronary vasculature. Their histologic similarity to intimal thickening of CAV could lead to an inaccurate distinction between graft tolerance and CAV in both clinical and experimental studies of heart transplantation.
BACKGROUND: Naive coronary vessels may appear to have intimal thickening histologically characteristic of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV). This study appraises the experimental and clinical impact of this observation. METHODS: Tissue sections from 12 naive hearts of miniature swine, 13 native porcine hearts of recipients of heterotopic cardiac allografts, 3 native human hearts and 3 human hearts with CAV were compared with light microscopy and morphometric analysis. Results were also compared with morphometric data previously gathered from 3 grafts in a standard experimental model of CAV (rejectors) and 3 grafts harvested from swine rendered tolerant to their donor hearts (chimeras). RESULTS: In the naive and native porcine hearts, the prevalence of CAV "mimics" was 0% to 6.94% (mean +/- SD: 1.99 +/- 1.97%) and 0% to 7.57% (2.97 +/- 2.20%), respectively (p = 0.12). The prevalence of CAV in the grafts of porcine rejectors and chimeras was 9.9% to 14.8% (12.4 +/- 2.5%) and 0.6% to 4.5% (2.6 +/- 2.0%), respectively (p < 0.05). CAV in the chimeras was similar in prevalence to that of the naive and native hearts. In native human hearts and human grafts, the prevalence was 1.86% to 2.00% (1.95 +/- 0.08%) and 9.09% to 17.50% (12.80 +/- 4.29%), respectively (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Smooth muscle bundles inside the internal elastic laminae are similarly prevalent in human and porcine coronary vasculature. Their histologic similarity to intimal thickening of CAV could lead to an inaccurate distinction between graft tolerance and CAV in both clinical and experimental studies of heart transplantation.
Authors: Stuart L Houser; Isabel M McMorrow; Christian LeGuern; Margaret L Schwarze; Yasuli Fuchimoto; David H Sachs; Joren C Madsen Journal: J Heart Lung Transplant Date: 2004-01 Impact factor: 10.247
Authors: Ingrid M Seipelt; Elfriede Pahl; Ralf G Seipelt; Constantine Mavroudis; Carl L Backer; Veronica Stellmach; Mona Cornwell; Susan E Crawford Journal: J Heart Lung Transplant Date: 2005-08 Impact factor: 10.247
Authors: Mohamad H Yamani; Mohammed Yousufuddin; Randall C Starling; Murat Tuzcu; Norman B Ratliff; Daniel J Cook; Ashraf Abdo; Tim Crowe; Robert Hobbs; Gustavo Rincon; Corine Bott-Silverman; Patrick M McCarthy; James B Young Journal: J Heart Lung Transplant Date: 2004-03 Impact factor: 10.247
Authors: Carl Atkinson; Joanne Horsley; Susan Rhind-Tutt; Susan Charman; Colin J Phillpotts; John Wallwork; Martin J Goddard Journal: J Heart Lung Transplant Date: 2004-04 Impact factor: 10.247