Electrophysiological and anatomical findings in heart transplantation: experimental study.
The diagnosis of acute rejection by electrophysiological methods is based on the fact that signs of rejection such as inflammatory infiltrate, interstitial edema, and mostly myocyte necrosis lead to obligated alterations in electrophysiological properties of the myocardium. In a total of 276 heterotopic abdominal transplants in rats, a noninvasive monitoring of heart allograft rejection by conventional ECG and electrophysiological techniques was performed. The correlation of these findings with pathological studies, including histologic determination of the degree of acute rejection, analysis of weight and cardiac perimeter, and volumetric cell density were also evaluated in 96 of them, 66 were allogeneic and 30 syngeneic. Sensitivity and specificity of the R wave and slew rate was also determined with respect to the Billingham classification. Results of the correlation analysis showed that electrophysiological variations in R wave and slew rate correlated more intensely with changes in volumetric cell density. The greatest sensitivity and specificity was observed in R wave changes in relation to the Billingham classification.
Microsurgery Experimental Laboratory, Hospital La Paz, Madrid.
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Castejon
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Cabo
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Gamallo
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Diez-Pardo
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Cordovilla
D000005:Abdomen; D000818:Animals; D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial; D002452:Cell Count; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000502:physiology; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000502:physiology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D009929:Organ Size; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016042:Transplantation, Heterotopic