title: Intravascular Ultrasonic Imaging of Coronary Arterial Remodeling in Heart Transplant Recipients.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate long-term changes of transplant coronary arteries, including vessel, plaque, and lumen areas. There are limited long-term data on vessel remodeling after heart transplantation. We analyzed serial intravascular ultrasound images of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) in 54 heart transplantation recipients. Nine patients (16.7%) had a history of rejection. Proximal left anterior descending artery segments were matched among time points, a ≥20-mm long segment was analyzed every 1 mm, and results were normalized for analysis length and reported as mm(3)/mm. During follow-up, vessel area decreased (-0.48 ± 1.3 mm(3)/mm/year), and plaque area did not change (-0.01 ± 0.47 mm(3)/mm/year). As a result, lumen area decreased (-0.52 ± 1.34 mm(3)/mm/year). The change in mean lumen area was well correlated to the change in mean vessel area (r = 0.94, p <0.01) but not to the change in mean plaque area (r = -0.27, p = 0.05). In conclusion, lumen loss occurred during long-term follow-up of patients who underwent heart transplantation, primarily secondary to negative remodeling (decrease in vessel dimensions).
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Foundation, New York, New York; Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Kosaku
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.affiliation: Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Iakovou
authors.affiliation: Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Aggeliki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gkouziouta
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Foundation, New York, New York; Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York. Electronic address: amaehara@crf.org.
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maehara
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Foundation, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Gary S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Mintz
authors.affiliation: Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Karavolias
authors.affiliation: Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Vaggelis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Leontiadis
authors.affiliation: Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Vasilis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Voudris
authors.affiliation: Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pavlides
authors.affiliation: Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Stamatios
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Adamopoulos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D066027:Transplant Recipients; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods*; D066253:Vascular Remodeling