Monitoring of human cytomegalovirus infections in heart transplant recipients by pp65 antigenemia.

Background: Rapid diagnostic techniques offer the opportunity of early diagnosis of human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in immunocompromized patients at risk of developing CMV disease and syndrome. The use of CMV pp65 antigenemia as a predictor of CMV syndrome and disease in heart transplant recipient after induction therapy was studied retrospectively.

Methods: One hundred and nineteen consecutive heart transplant recipients treated with induction therapy who survived more then 14 d were monitored for CMV infection.

Prognosis of moderate coronary artery lesions in heart transplant patients.

Background: Despite recent advances in our understanding of allograft vasculopathy, little is known about the evolution of moderate coronary lesions in heart transplant recipients.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 58 heart transplant patients undergoing annual coronary angiography who demonstrated a moderate lesion (>30% and <60% diameter stenosis) on any routine annual study. In an attempt to find criteria that could distinguish such patients who were at high risk of disease progression from those at low risk, we reviewed the clinical and biologic features and angiographic and clinical outcomes of patients with and without lesion progression at 1 year.

Myocardial infarction after endomyocardial biopsy in a heart transplant patient.

In a heart transplant patient who had undergone several endomyocardial biopsies, ultrasound examination revealed severe left ventricular dysfunction after a stroke. Coronary angiography showed a distal left anterior descending artery fistula to the right ventricle. Left ventricular angiogram showed apical dyskinesia.