Faculty Collaboration Database

Sirolimus as primary immunosuppression attenuates allograft vasculopathy with improved late survival and decreased cardiac events after cardiac transplantation. Circulation 2012 Feb 07;125(5):708-20

Date

12/31/2011

Pubmed ID

22207715

DOI

10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.111.040360

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-84863173879 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   94 Citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: We retrospectively analyzed the potential of sirolimus as a primary immunosuppressant in the long-term attenuation of cardiac allograft vasculopathy progression and the effects on cardiac-related morbidity and mortality.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Forty-five cardiac transplant recipients were converted to sirolimus 1.2 years (0.2, 4.0) after transplantation with complete calcineurin inhibitor withdrawal. Fifty-eight control subjects 2.0 years (0.2, 6.5 years) from transplantation were maintained on calcineurin inhibitors. Age, sex, ejection fraction, and time from transplantation to baseline intravascular ultrasound study were not different (P>0.2 for all) between the groups; neither were secondary immunosuppressants and use of steroids. Three-dimensional intravascular ultrasound studies were performed at baseline and 3.1 years (1.3, 4.6 years) later. Plaque index progression (plaque volume/vessel volume) was attenuated in the sirolimus group (0.7±10.5% versus 9.3±10.8%; P=0.0003) owing to reduced plaque volume in patients converted to sirolimus early (<2 years) after transplantation (P=0.05) and improved positive vascular remodeling (P=0.01) in patients analyzed late (>2 years) after transplantation. Outcome analysis in 160 consecutive patients maintained on 1 therapy was performed regardless of performance of intravascular ultrasound examinations. Five-year survival was improved with sirolimus (97.4±1.8% versus 81.8±4.9%; P=0.006), as was freedom from cardiac-related events (93.6±3.2% versus 76.9±5.5%; P=0.002).

CONCLUSIONS: Substituting calcineurin inhibitor with sirolimus as primary immunosuppressant attenuates long-term cardiac allograft vasculopathy progression and may improve long-term allograft survival owing to favorable coronary remodeling. Because of the lack of randomization and retrospective nature of our analysis, the differences in outcome should be interpreted cautiously, and prospective clinical trials are required.

Author List

Topilsky Y, Hasin T, Raichlin E, Boilson BA, Schirger JA, Pereira NL, Edwards BS, Clavell AL, Rodeheffer RJ, Frantz RP, Maltais S, Park SJ, Daly RC, Lerman A, Kushwaha SS

Author

Eugenia Raichlin MD Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Calcineurin
Coronary Angiography
Coronary Artery Disease
Enzyme Inhibitors
Female
Heart Transplantation
Humans
Immunosuppressive Agents
Incidence
Male
Middle Aged
Myocardial Infarction
Retrospective Studies
Sirolimus
Survival Rate
Transplantation, Homologous
Treatment Outcome
Ultrasonography, Interventional
Vascular Diseases