Pretransplant pulmonary hypertension and long-term allograft right ventricular function

Background: Graft right ventricular (RV) function is compromised directly posttransplant, especially in heart transplantation (HTx) recipients with pretransplant pulmonary hypertension (PH). Graft RV size and systolic function, and the effect of the recipient's pulmonary haemodynamics on the graft extracellular matrix are not well characterised in the patients long-term after HTx. Aim: Comparison of RV size and systolic function in HTx recipients' long-term posttransplant stratified by the presence of pretransplant PH. Methods: HTx survivors ≥2 years posttransplant were divided into group I without pretransplant PH (pulmonary vascular resistance, PVR ≪2.5Wood units, n=37) and group II with PH (PVR ≥2.5Wood units, n=16). RV size and systolic function were measured using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). The collagen content was assessed in septal endomyocardial biopsies obtained at HTx and at study inclusion. Results: Mean posttransplant follow-up was 5.2±2.9 years (group I) and 4.9±2.2 years (group II) (p=0.70). PVR was 1.5±0.6 vs 4.1±1.7Wood units pretransplant (p≪0.001), and 1.2±0.5 vs 1.3±0.5Wood units at study inclusion (p=0.43). Allograft RV size and systolic function were similar in both groups (p always ≥0.07). Collagen content at transplantation and at follow-up were not different (p always ≥0.60). Conclusion: Posttransplant normalisation of pretransplant PH is associated with normal graft RV function long-term after HTx