Responsiveness to second and third dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccination in adolescent and young adult heart transplant recipients.

Background: Third-dose mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is currently recommended in the United States for SOT recipients based in part on data showing diminished immune response, including Ab production, after a two-dose regimen. Data on vaccine response in adolescent and young adult SOT recipients are limited, including no data reported on third-dose responsiveness.

Methods: Results of serologic testing in a convenience sample of 28 vaccinated adolescent and young adult HT recipients at a single institution were collected from the medical record and summarized.

Early findings after integration of donor-derived cell-free DNA into clinical care following pediatric heart transplantation.

Background: Endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) is costly and discomforting yet remains a key component of surveillance after pediatric heart transplantation (HT). Donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA) has been histologically validated with high negative predictive value, offering an alternative to surveillance EMB (sEMB).

Methods: We implemented an alternative surveillance protocol using commercially available dd-cfDNA assays in place of sEMB after pediatric HT.