Structural Integrity and Cellular Viability of Cryopreserved Allograft Heart Valves in Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Reconstruction: Correlation of Histopathological Changes with Donor Characteristics and Preservation Times

Figures

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  Fig. 1. Bar plots showing individual components of structural degeneration in arterial (A) and valvar (B) samples (only the non-zero variables are shown). X-axis shows grades of severity for each individual variable, y-axis provides number of samples in each category (different colors of the bars were used only for a better understandability of the picture). ELA=elastic fiber; MEMA=mucoid extracellular matrix accumulations.

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  Fig. 2. Bar plots showing individual components of decreased cellular viability in arterial (A) and valvar (B) samples (only the non-zero variables are shown). X-axis shows grades of severity for each individual variable, y-axis provides number of samples in each category (different colors of the bars were used only for a better understandability of the picture). HE=hematoxylin and eosin.

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  Fig. 3. Photomicrographs of pulmonary trunk wall. A) Mild reduction of cellular preservation showing shrunken and pyknotic nuclei (arrow), hematoxylin and eosin stain, magnification 100×; B) mild fragmentation and loss of elastic fibers (arrow), Weigert’s resorcin fuchsin stain, magnification 100×; C) mild focal intralamellar mucoid extracellular matrix accumulations (arrow), Alcian blue/periodic acid-Schiff stain, magnification 100×; D) anti-vimentin immunohistochemical stain demonstrating well preserved mesenchymal cells (bar), magnification 100×; E) anti-h-caldesmon immunohistochemical stain demonstrating mild focal loss of smooth muscle cells (arrow), magnification 100×; F) anti-CD34 immunohistochemical stain demonstrating complete loss of endothelial cells (arrow), magnification 200×; G) anti-S100β immunohistochemical stain demonstrating a few positive antigen-presenting dendritic cells (circle), magnification 400×.

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  Fig. 4. Photomicrographs of aortic wall. A) Marked reduction of cellular preservation showing shrunken and pyknotic nuclei (arrow), hematoxylin and eosin stain, magnification 100×; B) mild fragmentation elastic fibers (arrow) and mild intimal fibrosis (asterisk), Weigert’s resorcin fuchsin stain, magnification 100×; C) mild intralamellar mucoid extracellular matrix accumulations (arrow), Alcian blue/periodic acid-Schiff stain, magnification 100×; D) anti-vimentin immunohistochemical stain demonstrating marked reduction of mesenchymal cells (arrow), magnification 200×; E) anti-h-caldesmon immunohistochemical stain demonstrating marked reduction of smooth muscle cells (arrow), magnification 200×.