Novel mediators of aneurysm progression in bicuspid aortic valve disease.

Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) disease is a congenital abnormality that is associated with ascending aortic aneurysm yet many of the molecular mechanisms remain unknown. To identify novel molecular mechanisms of aneurysm formation we completed microarray analysis of the proximal (severely dilated) and distal (less dilated) regions of the ascending aorta from five patients with BAV. We identified 180 differentially expressed genes, 40 of which were validated by RT-qPCR.

Increases in Serum Autoantibodies After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation.

Background: Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) can serve as a bridge to transplant or destination therapy for patients with advanced heart failure. Implantation of LVADs is known to be associated with increases in anti-HLA antibodies, but less is known about how autoantibody levels change with the use of these devices.

Methods And Results: Autoantibody levels were quantified with the use of customized antigen microarrays in 22 patients both before and after LVAD.

Recipient hypertonic saline infusion prevents cardiac allograft dysfunction.

Objective: Hypertonic saline (HTS) has potent immune and vascular effects. We assessed recipient pretreatment with HTS on allograft function in a porcine model of heart transplantation and hypothesized that HTS infusion would limit endothelial and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction following transplantation.

Methods: Heart transplants were performed after 6 hours of cold ischemic storage.

Effects of everolimus and HLA-G on cellular proliferation and neutrophil adhesion in an in vitro model of cardiac allograft vasculopathy.

Human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) expression is modulated by immunosuppressant use and is associated with lower incidence of graft rejection and cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV). We examined whether everolimus induces HLA-G expression and inhibits human coronary artery smooth muscle cell (HCASMC) proliferation, a critical event in CAV. Also, we examined whether TNFα-stimulated neutrophil adhesion is inhibited by HLA-G on human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs).

10-Year Experience with HLA-G in Heart Transplantation.

The Human Leukocyte Antigen-G (HLA-G) is a MHC-class Ib molecule with robust immunomodulatory properties; in transplant, it inhibits cytotoxic activity of immune cells and thus has a pivotal role in protecting the allograft from immune attack. The present review details a 10-year experience investigating the influence of HLA-G on heart transplantation, allograft rejection and cardiac allograft vasculopathy development. Exploration of HLA-G in transplantation began with the initial findings of its increased expression in allograft hearts.