The Effects of CYP3A5 Genetic Polymorphisms on Serum Tacrolimus Dose-Adjusted Concentrations and Long-Term Prognosis in Chinese Heart Transplantation Recipients.

Background And Objectives: Effective management of immunosuppressants is extemely important to improve prognosis of heart transplant recipients. We aim to investigate the effects of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A5 (rs776746) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on serum tacrolimus concentrations/doses (C/Ds, ng/mL per mg/kg) and long-term prognosis in Chinese heart transplant recipients.

Methods: We detected the CYP3A5 SNPs of 203 consecutive Chinese heart transplant recipients between August 2005 and July 2012, and 55 of them who received tacrolimus-based immunosuppressive therapy were enrolled in this study.

Late onset radiation-induced constrictive pericarditis and cardiomyopathy after radiotherapy: A case report.

Introduction: Radiation-induced heart disease (RIHD) is a serious side effect of cancer treatment, including coronary artery disease, valvular cardiac dysfunction, cardiomyopathy, aortopathy, and chronic constrictive pericarditis. Herein, this case we present was diagnosed as radiation-induced constrictive pericarditis and cardiomyopathy by means of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and transthoracic echocardiogram, finally confirmed by pathology after performing heart transplant operation.

Conclusions: This case supports a notion that RIHD often causes multiple heart impairment and CMR is helpful to diagnose cardiomyopathy after radiation.

[Risk factors for hypertension and impact of postoperative hypertension on medium survival after heart transplantation].

Objective: To access the prevalence and risk factors for hypertension after heart transplantation (HT), and the impact of post-transplant hypertension on medium-term survival among HT patients.

Methods: Data from 265 consecutive patients underwent HT between June 2004 and May 2012 in Fuwai hospital and survived for at least 6 months were retrospectively analyzed. Hypertension was defined as systolic pressure ≥ 140 mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.

[Sirolimus use in heart transplantation recipients with chronic renal dysfunction].

Objective: To observe the effect of sirolimus-based immunosuppression administered on heart transplant recipients with chronic renal dysfunction.

Methods: From June 2004 to December 2008, standard calcineurin inhibitors (CNI)-based immunosuppressive regimen was changed to reduced-dose CNI plus sirolimus due to CNI-related chronic renal dysfunction in 20 out of 138 cardiac transplant recipients at Fuwai Hospital. The standard immunosuppressive regimen included steroid, CNI (cyclosporine or tacrolimus), and mycophenolate mofetil or azathioprine.

[Safety analyses from 439 patients underwent endomyocardial biopsy via the right internal jugular vein approach].

Objective: Primary indications for endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) include heart transplant rejection surveillance and identifying cardiomyopathy or myocarditis. EMB procedures have not yet gained widespread acceptance because of concerns about possible complications associated with EMB procedures. In this single-center retrospective study, we analyzed the incidence of major and minor EMB procedure-related complications of 439 EMBs during the past 4.

[Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in the peri-operative period of heart transplantation].

Objective: To summarize and analyze clinical outcomes and experience about using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in supporting heart transplant patients in the peri-operative period of in Fuwai Hospital retrospectively.

Methods: We performed 131 orthotopic heart transplantations from June 2004 to December 2008. Fourteen cases used veno-artery ECMO (Medtronic Ltd) for mechanical circulatory support in the peri-operative period of heart transplantation.

Adult endothelial progenitor cells from human peripheral blood maintain monocyte/macrophage function throughout in vitro culture.

Mononuclear cells (MNCs) isolated from peripheral blood by density gradient centrifugation were plated on human fibronectin-coated culture plates and cultured in EGM-2 medium. Attached spindle-shaped cells, reported as endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) by some investigators, had elongated from adherent round cells, but had not proliferated from a small number of cells as supposed previously. The growth curve of the primary EPCs showed that the cells had little proliferative capacity.