TY - JOUR

T1 - Intravascular ultrasound–guided selection for early noninvasive cardiac allograft vasculopathy screening in heart transplant recipients

AU - Nelson, Lærke Marie

AU - Rossing, Kasper

AU - Ihlemann, Nikolaj

AU - Boesgaard, Søren

AU - Engstrøm, Thomas

AU - Gustafsson, Finn

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - Background: Noninvasive screening for cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) instead of invasive coronary angiography (ICA) within the first 3 to 5 years after heart transplantation (HTx) is controversial. We evaluated a strategy of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)–guided conversion to early noninvasive screening post-HTx. Methods: A single-center study of 103 consecutive HTx recipients from 2008 to 2018 undergoing ICA at 1 year post-HTx. Of 88 patients with normal 1-year ICA, sixty-six patients underwent IVUS examination for risk stratification by maximal intimal thickness (MIT) into (i) low-risk group (MIT < 0.5 mm) (n = 41, 62%) followed noninvasively versus (ii) high-risk group (MIT ≥ 0.5 mm) (n = 25, 38%) followed with yearly ICA. Both groups underwent ICA at year 5 post-HTx. We evaluated a combined endpoint of angiographic CAV and death at 5-year follow-up post-HTx. Results: Median (IQR) age was 51 (33–60) years, and 62% were male. Follow-up was 1443 (1125–1456) days. Survival free from angiographic CAV (Kaplan-Meier) differed significantly between groups (log-rank p <.0001). A subgroup of 27 patients completed ICA at year 5, and the proportion of angiographic CAV was significantly lower in low-risk patients (p <.0001). Conclusion: IVUS-guided selection for early noninvasive CAV screening appears to be safe and holds promise as a novel strategy for early risk stratification and CAV surveillance post-HTx.

AB - Background: Noninvasive screening for cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) instead of invasive coronary angiography (ICA) within the first 3 to 5 years after heart transplantation (HTx) is controversial. We evaluated a strategy of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)–guided conversion to early noninvasive screening post-HTx. Methods: A single-center study of 103 consecutive HTx recipients from 2008 to 2018 undergoing ICA at 1 year post-HTx. Of 88 patients with normal 1-year ICA, sixty-six patients underwent IVUS examination for risk stratification by maximal intimal thickness (MIT) into (i) low-risk group (MIT < 0.5 mm) (n = 41, 62%) followed noninvasively versus (ii) high-risk group (MIT ≥ 0.5 mm) (n = 25, 38%) followed with yearly ICA. Both groups underwent ICA at year 5 post-HTx. We evaluated a combined endpoint of angiographic CAV and death at 5-year follow-up post-HTx. Results: Median (IQR) age was 51 (33–60) years, and 62% were male. Follow-up was 1443 (1125–1456) days. Survival free from angiographic CAV (Kaplan-Meier) differed significantly between groups (log-rank p <.0001). A subgroup of 27 patients completed ICA at year 5, and the proportion of angiographic CAV was significantly lower in low-risk patients (p <.0001). Conclusion: IVUS-guided selection for early noninvasive CAV screening appears to be safe and holds promise as a novel strategy for early risk stratification and CAV surveillance post-HTx.

KW - cardiac allograft vasculopathy

KW - coronary angiography

KW - dobutamine stress echocardiography

KW - heart transplantation

KW - intravascular ultrasound

KW - risk stratification

U2 - 10.1111/ctr.14124

DO - 10.1111/ctr.14124

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 33068292

AN - SCOPUS:85096707169

VL - 34

JO - Clinical Transplantation

JF - Clinical Transplantation

SN - 0902-0063

IS - 12

M1 - e14124

ER -