Factors Associated With Sinoatrial Reinnervation After Heart Transplantation

Bibliographic Details
Title: Factors Associated With Sinoatrial Reinnervation After Heart Transplantation
Authors: Anders H. Christensen, MD, Vegard B.B. Wyller, MD, PhD, Sissel Nygaard, MD, PhD, Katrine Rolid, PT, PhD, Kari Nytrøen, PT, PhD, Lars Gullestad, MD, PhD, Arnt Fiane, MD, PhD, Erik Thaulow, MD, PhD, J. Philip Saul, MD, Gaute Døhlen, MD, PhD
Source: Transplantation Direct, Vol 9, Iss 12, p e1553 (2023)
Publisher Information: Wolters Kluwer, 2023.
Publication Year: 2023
Collection: LCC:Surgery
Subject Terms: Surgery, RD1-811
More Details: Background. Factors associated with sympathetic and parasympathetic sinoatrial reinnervation after heart transplantation (HTx) are inadequately studied. Methods. Fifty transplant recipients were examined at 7 to 12 wk (index visit), 6, 12, 24, and 36 mo after HTx. Supine rest heart rate variability in the low-frequency (LF) domain (sympathetic and parasympathetic sinoatrial reinnervation) and the high-frequency (HF) domain (parasympathetic sinoatrial reinnervation) were measured repeatedly and related to selected recipient, donor, and perisurgical characteristics. We primarily aimed to identify index visit factors that affect the sinoatrial reinnervation process. Secondarily, we examined overall associations between indices of reinnervation and repeatedly measured recipient characteristics to generate new hypotheses regarding the consequences of reinnervation. Results. LF and HF variability increased time dependently. In multivariate modeling, a pretransplant diagnosis of nonischemic cardiomyopathy (P = 0.038) and higher index visit handgrip strength (P = 0.028) predicted improved LF variability. Recipient age, early episodes of rejection, and duration of extracorporeal circulation were not associated with indices of reinnervation. Study average handgrip strength was positively associated with LF and HF variability (respectively, P = 0.005 and P = 0.029), whereas study average C-reactive protein was negatively associated (respectively, P = 0.015 and P = 0.008). Conclusions. Indices of both sympathetic and parasympathetic sinoatrial reinnervation increased with time after HTx. A pretransplant diagnosis of nonischemic cardiomyopathy and higher index visit handgrip strength predicted higher indices of mainly sympathetic reinnervation, whereas age, rejection episodes, and duration of extracorporeal circulation had no association. HTx recipients with higher indices of reinnervation had higher average handgrip strength, suggesting a link between reinnervation and improved frailty. The more reinnervated participants had lower average C-reactive protein, suggesting an inhibitory effect of reinnervation on inflammation, possibly through enhanced function of the inflammatory reflex. These potential effects of reinnervation may affect long-term morbidity in HTx patients and should be scrutinized in future research.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 2373-8731
00000000
Relation: http://journals.lww.com/transplantationdirect/fulltext/10.1097/TXD.0000000000001553; https://doaj.org/toc/2373-8731
DOI: 10.1097/TXD.0000000000001553
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/93512caf05e9405d9ea1b3b2ec3678b6
Accession Number: edsdoj.93512caf05e9405d9ea1b3b2ec3678b6
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:23738731
00000000
DOI:10.1097/TXD.0000000000001553
Published in:Transplantation Direct
Language:English