Abstract 14108: Does Primary Graft Dysfunction Increase First Year Intimal Thickness After Heart Transplantation?

Introduction: Primary graft dysfunction (PGD) has been reported in between 7-30% of heart transplant recipients with severe PGD known to have poor outcome. Due to graft dysfunction and potential for endothelial cell injury, it is not known whether all grades of PGD can increase first year intimal thickening, which may be a harbinger for clinical cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV). Methods: Between 2010 and 2017, we assessed 769 heart transplant patients and divided them into those patients with mild PGD (n=12), moderate PGD (n=35), severe PGD (n=36) and no PGD (n=686). Endpoints included 3-year survival and freedom from angiographic CAV (stenosis ≥30%) and non-fatal major adverse cardiac events (NF-MACE: myocardial infarction, percutaneous coronary intervention, new congestive heart failure, pacemaker/implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement, stroke); and 1-year freedom from any treated rejection (ATR), acute cellular rejection (ACR), antibody mediated rejection (AMR). First year intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) was performed at baseline 4-8 weeks and at 1 year after transplant. IVUS parameters included first-year average change in MIT and change in MIT ≥0.5mm. Results: First year change in average MIT and MIT ≥0.5mm and 3-year freedom from CAV were not significantly different in all groups. The severe PGD group compared to all groups had significantly lower 3-year survival and freedom from NF-MACE. There was lower freedom from various types of rejection in the PGD groups compared to the no PGD group. Specifically, 1-year freedom from ACR was significantly lower in the mild PGD group compared to the moderate PGD group and the no PGD group (see table). Conclusions: PGD grades do not appear to lead to increased first year intimal thickening or angiographic CAV at 3 years. Lower freedom from ACR in the mild PGD group and ATR in the severe PGD group will need further study. Larger numbers of patients are needed to confirm these findings.