title: Impact of donor and recipient sex on outcome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The impact of donor and recipient sex on outcome after heart transplantation (HTx) is discussed controversially. Therefore, the recent findings in this field were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The combination male recipient/female donor increases the risk for early mortality, whereas other sex constellations yield similar outcomes after HTx. In the long-term follow-up, survival of female recipients is superior, especially in the combination female recipient/female donor. Female recipients of male donor hearts are more susceptible to cellular rejection episodes. Their superior long-term outcome, however, is not affected by that.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sex matching in HTx, although desirable, is not always possible without prolonging waiting times for the desired donor heart. The combination female donor-male recipient should be evaluated with caution.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich Medical Center, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Meiser
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kaczmarek
mesh_terms: D046148:Donor Selection; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology