Heart transplantation in patient with diabetes- related microvacular and macrovascular complications

Cardiac transplantation is a method of choice in the treatment of patients with end-stage heart failure (HF) whose life expectancy, despite the optimal medical therapy is less than one year. Number of patiences with diabetes are increasing at alarming rates. Some studies have shown an increased risk of post-transplant infection, transplanted organ rejection, renal failure and mortality in diabetic recipients. A 38-year-old African American male patient with end-stage ischemic biventricular cardiomyopathy and diabetes mellitus type 1 with moderate chronic renal failure, was transplanted in August 2014. A few days following the transplantation his renal function continued to deteriorate and chronic haemodialysis was initiated. During the next four years, the regular heart biopsies showed no signs of acute cellular or humoral rejection and echocardiography showed normal graft function. In February 2018 the patient was listed for kidney transplantation. In April 2018 the patient presented with septic shock. Due to the severe eosinophilia combined with culture-negative severe sepsis, complete viral and parasitic serology was performed. All tests came back negative. Bone marrow aspiration showed only eosinophilia. Due to the sepsis of unknown origin, the patient was treated with broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy without an effective response to applied therapy. Despite of the all intensive care treatment, the patient died. Autopsy showed a pancarditis possibly caused by Trypanosoma cruzi or Toxoplasma gondii. In conclusion, cardiac transplantation can be performed in diabetic patients with chronic renal failure, but with significantly increased risk for further renal deterioration and even the need for chronic haemodialysis

Everything in Moderation – Athlete\u27s Heart

Brojna klinička istraživanja dokazala su jasne koristi tjelesne aktivnosti za kardiovaskularno, ali i opće zdravlje svakoga čovjeka. Tjelesna aktivnost izaziva fiziološki odgovor organizma koji dovodi do različitih prilagodba pojedinih organskih sustava, a primjer jedne od njih jest i sportsko srce – benigni i reverzibilni odgovor kardiovaskularnog sustava na ponavljanu i intenzivnu tjelesnu aktivnost. Neke bolesti miokarda mogu dijeliti slične elektrokardiografske, ehokardiografske i druge karakteristike sa sportskim srcem. Pravodobno prepoznavanje takvih bolesti ključno je za zaštitu zdravlja svih koji se bave intenzivnijom tjelesnom aktivnosti rekreativno ili profesionalno.Numerous clinical studies have demonstrated obvious benefits of physical activity for cardiovascular, as well as general health of every human being. Physical activity induces a physiological response resulting in different adaptations of individual organ systems. One of such adaptations is the athlete\u27s heart representing a benign and reversible reaction of the cardiovascular system to repeated and intensive physical activity. Some of the myocardial diseases may share electrocardiographic, echocardiographic and other features similar to those of the athlete\u27s heart. Timely recognition of such diseases is crucial to the health of everyone who is engaged in a more intensive physical activity, either recreationally or professionally

Heart transplantation in patient with diabetes- related microvacular and macrovascular complications

Cardiac transplantation is a method of choice in the treatment of patients with end-stage heart failure (HF) whose life expectancy, despite the optimal medical therapy is less than one year. Number of patiences with diabetes are increasing at alarming rates. Some studies have shown an increased risk of post-transplant infection, transplanted organ rejection, renal failure and mortality in diabetic recipients. A 38-year-old African American male patient with end-stage ischemic biventricular cardiomyopathy and diabetes mellitus type 1 with moderate chronic renal failure, was transplanted in August 2014. A few days following the transplantation his renal function continued to deteriorate and chronic haemodialysis was initiated. During the next four years, the regular heart biopsies showed no signs of acute cellular or humoral rejection and echocardiography showed normal graft function. In February 2018 the patient was listed for kidney transplantation. In April 2018 the patient presented with septic shock. Due to the severe eosinophilia combined with culture-negative severe sepsis, complete viral and parasitic serology was performed. All tests came back negative. Bone marrow aspiration showed only eosinophilia. Due to the sepsis of unknown origin, the patient was treated with broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy without an effective response to applied therapy. Despite of the all intensive care treatment, the patient died. Autopsy showed a pancarditis possibly caused by Trypanosoma cruzi or Toxoplasma gondii. In conclusion, cardiac transplantation can be performed in diabetic patients with chronic renal failure, but with significantly increased risk for further renal deterioration and even the need for chronic haemodialysis

Short term outcomes in the elderly patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes undergoing early percutaneous coronary intervention: a report from the ISACS-TC registry

n/

Lower platelet count early after the heart transplantation is associated with lower rates of cellular-mediated rejection within 24 months after heart transplantation

Background: Decrease in platelet count following the induction with polyclonal anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) is deemed as an adverse event, while decrease in lymphocyte count represents a therapeutic goal1. Still, the effect on platelets may represent an important part of ATG anti-rejection mechanisms. Patients and Methods: This was a retrospective single-center study of consecutive HTx (heart transplantation) patients (pts) from February 2010 to February 2018 in University Hospital Centre Zagreb. All pts received rATG (Thymoglobulin®) 1.5 mg/kg daily during the first 5 days. Complete blood count with differential was assessed on days 0, 7 and 14 after HTx. The incidence of cellular-mediated rejection (ACR) was monitored for two years after HTx. ACR was classified according to ISHLT classification from 1990 and expressed as ACR of grade 1B or higher (≥1B). Results: A total of 159 pts were transplanted. Median age was 55 years (IQR, 47-62 years), 76% were male. A total of 27 pts (17 %) experienced ACR ≥1B during 24 months. Pts with ACR of grade ≥1B had higher platelet count on day 7 (145 vs 104 x 103/μL, p<0.001). They also had higher the absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) on the same day, but this did not reach statistical significance (162 vs 130 x 103/μL, p=0.19) and there was no correlation between ALC and platelet counts on day 7 (Pearson’s correlation coefficient was 0.064, p=0.459). Conversely, more rejection was observed in pts with higher ALC on day 14 (326 vs 190 x 103/μL, p=0.035), with a trend towards statistical significance in the relationship with higher platelet count (210 vs 199 x 103/μL, P=0.076). In the univariate analysis, higher platelet count on day 7, younger recipient age and negative pre-transplant Cytomegalovirus (CMV) IgG serology were found as predictors of the ACR ≥1B in the first 2 years after HTx (Table 1). In multivariable model, platelet count on day 7 and pre-transplant CMV serostatus were independent predictors of rejection. ROC analysis of the aforementioned model showed a satisfying AUC of 0.75. Conclusion: Decrease in platelet count following the induction with rATG is strongly related to less graft rejection that is independent from the lymphodepleting effect. This indicates the importance of platelet involvement in anti-rejection mechanisms of ATG induction, and consequently a possible rationale for targeting platelets in future immunosuppressive regimens