Study of the development of low invasive predictors for the progression of coronary artery diseases in patients with heart transplantation

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K09256
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 55030:Cardiovascular surgery-related
• Research Institution: National Cardiovascular Center Research Institute
• Principal Investigator: Watanabe Takuya 国立研究開発法人国立循環器病研究センター, 病院, 医長 (20627509)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 松本 学 国立研究開発法人国立循環器病研究センター, 病院, 医師 (30408827)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 心臓移植 / 重症心不全 / 移植心冠動脈病変 / 植込型補助人工心臓

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The research questions of this study were to establish a new minimally invasive method to predict the progression of cardiac allograft vasculopathy which is a complication that affects the long-term prognosis after heart transplantation: (1) microvascular changes by myocardial biopsy, and (2) analysis of recipient cell straying into the coronary artery vessel wall within transplant myocardial tissue, and (3) Peripheral vascular endothelial function testing as assessed by flow-mediated vasodilation response testing of the recipient's brachial artery. Regarding the main objective (3), we found that the evaluation of endothelial function by flow-mediated vasodilatation test in the brachial artery in post-heart transplant patients can predict the progression of cardiac allograft vasculopathy in post-heart transplant patients, and we are ready for submission for publication.

Free Research Field

心不全

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究課題を通して、幅広く心臓移植後患者及び心臓移植を要する重症心不全患者の予後予測やリスク因子に関する臨床研究を行い、種々の研究論文の発表を行った。本研究成果を通じて、心臓移植後患者、心臓移植を要し植込み型補助人工心臓を装着するような重症心不全患者の予後を予測し、個別化医療を実践するための礎となる知見が得られた。心臓移植、重症心不全は本邦においては依然として確立した治療方針が明らかではない領域であり、本研究成果が確立した重症心不全治療の促進につながることが期待される。