Key result
Heart transplantation using grafts from SARS-CoV-2 positive donors resulted in excellent graft function without rejection or viral myocarditis in all 3 patients after a mean follow-up of 135 days.
Why the study?
SARS-CoV-2 positive donor grafts have regularly been rejected for heart transplantation due to concerns about unnoticed cardiovascular effects, despite increasing donor positivity.
Is heart transplantation with grafts from SARS-CoV-2 positive donors safe and feasible in vaccinated recipients?
Case Report (n=3)
Is heart transplantation with grafts from SARS-CoV-2 positive donors safe and feasible in vaccinated recipients?
Heart transplantation using grafts from SARS-CoV-2 positive donors appears safe and feasible in fully vaccinated recipients, potentially expanding the donor pool.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
May support expanded donor pool in vaccinated recipients; hypothesis-generating and requires confirmation in larger studies.
Incidence of SARS-CoV-2 remains high in the population. Consequently, an increasing percentage of reported organ donors are also SARS-CoV-2 positive. Although donors may not have experienced COVID-19-related symptoms, there is a chance of unnoticed cardiovascular effects associated with this disease. Therefore, SARS-CoV-2 donor grafts have been regularly rejected for heart transplantation (HTx) for a long time. We hereby present three consecutive patients receiving grafts from SARS-CoV-2 positive donors (defined by the PCR cycle threshold value < 30). All patients underwent HTx after a previous triple mRNA vaccination (mRNA-BNT162b2 vaccine, Comirnaty) without adverse events and with a regular post-operative course. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance and endomyocardial biopsies confirmed excellent graft function without signs of rejection or viral myocarditis. After a mean follow-up of 135 days after HTx, all patients were in good conditions without heart failure, viral myocarditis, or SARS-CoV-2 infection. Thus, we conclude that HTx with SARS-CoV-2 positive donors seems safe and feasible.
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Akhyari et al. (2023) conducted a case report in Heart transplantation (n=3). Heart transplantation from SARS-CoV-2 positive donors was evaluated on Graft function, rejection, viral myocarditis, and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Heart transplantation using grafts from SARS-CoV-2 positive donors resulted in excellent graft function without rejection or viral myocarditis in all 3 patients after a mean follow-up of 135 days.
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