The Journal of heart and lung transplantation : the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation
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J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Nov 2006
Case ReportsSalvage right pneumonectomy in a patient with bronchial-pulmonary artery fistula after bilateral sequential lung transplantation.
Bronchovascular fistula is a rare but fatal complication in lung transplant recipients. We report the successful salvage of a right pneumonectomy performed in a patient with a fistula between the right main bronchus and the pulmonary artery after ulcerative bronchitis caused by Aspergillus fumigatus.
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J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Oct 2006
Comparative StudyContact activation prolongs clot lysis time in human plasma: role of thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor and Factor XIII.
Contact activation system proteins (e.g., Factor XII, kallikrein) have been implicated as direct or indirect activators of plasminogen. However, contact activation and Factor XI have enhanced thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) activation and decreased fibrinolysis, and Factor XIII (FXIII) also delays fibrinolysis via alpha(2)-anti-plasmin deposition on fibrin polymers. Thus, the goals of this study were to define how fibrinolysis is modulated in human plasma by contact or tissue factor (TF) activation, and what role TAFI and FXIII plays in this system. ⋯ Primarily TAFI, and to a lesser extent FXIII, contributed to contact system protein-mediated attenuation of fibrinolysis. Clinical investigation of these phenomena is warranted in clinical settings involving contact activation (e.g., intra-aortic balloon pumps and ventricular assist devices) to determine whether these devices modulate fibrinolysis and perhaps contribute to thromboembolic morbidity.
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J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Oct 2006
Importance of early combined N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide and cardiac troponin T measurements for long-term risk stratification of patients with decompensated heart failure.
Markers of myocardial necrosis and natriuretic peptides are risk predictors in decompensated heart failure (DHF). We prospectively studied the optimal timing of combined cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) measurements for long-term risk stratification. ⋯ The combined measurements of cTnT and NT-proBNP on hospital admission were more reliable than their measurements before discharge in the long-term risk stratification of DHF. A single positive measurement on admission predicted a poor long-term outcome.
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J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Sep 2006
Case ReportsSirolimus-associated interstitial pneumonitis in 3 heart transplant recipients.
Sirolimus-induced interstitial pneumonitis (SIP) has been reported mainly in renal transplant recipients. However, it has recently been reported with increasing frequency in heart transplantation (HT) patients switched from calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) to sirolimus. We reviewed the medical records of 30 patients who were treated with sirolimus. ⋯ SIP is a common and severe adverse event (10%) in HT recipients treated with sirolimus. Drug discontinuation can dramatically improve clinical status. Previous lung injury may play a role in SIP pathogenesis.
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J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Sep 2006
Clinical TrialN-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, kidney disease and outcome in patients with chronic heart failure.
In patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) provides relevant prognostic information, but its usefulness in the presence of kidney disease has been questioned. ⋯ In CHF patients with and without kidney disease, NT-proBNP provides independent prognostic information. In such patients, NT-proBNP levels are not only reflective of a reduced clearance (i.e., a lower eGFR) but also of the severity of the underlying structural heart disease.