Sex mismatch in heart transplantation is associated with increased number of severe rejection episodes and shorter long-term survival.
BACKGROUND
Heart transplantation is the criterion standard for treating end-stage heart failure. Male sex of both the donor organ and the recipient is advantageous for survival, possibly owing to hemodynamic or immunologic reasons. The effect of sex mismatch on long-term survival in male heart transplant recipients is less known.


METHODS
In this prospective single-center study, we reviewed follow-up data for 57 sex-mismatched and 179 sex-matched men who underwent orthotopic heart transplantation between 1990 and 2002.


RESULTS
Median survival was significantly shorter in the sex-mismatched group (8.1 vs 12.9 years; P < .04). Subgroup analysis revealed that this was even more pronounced in male heart recipients with coronary artery disease (2.4 vs 12.9 years; P < .001). Female donor organs were significantly smaller (left ventricular end-diastolic diameter 49 vs 51 mm; P < .05), and recipients more often experienced clinically relevant episodes of cellular rejection during the first 3 months posttransplantation (International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation grade 3, 5.6% vs 3.1%; P < .001). Global left ventricular function, and immunosuppressive and inflammatory parameters did not differ.


CONCLUSIONS
In male orthotopic heart transplant recipients, sex mismatch is associated with adverse outcome owing to increased number and severity of episodes of graft rejection.
Welp
H
H
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany. henryk.welp@ukmuenster.de
Spieker
T
T
Erren
M
M
Scheld
H H
HH
Baba
H A
HA
Stypmann
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006321:Heart / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000601:surgery; D006339:Heart Rate; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D015996:Survival Rate; D017741:Survivors; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents