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PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
7
pubmed:dateCreated
1995-5-11
pubmed:abstractText
Acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) is a potent growth factor for vascular smooth muscle cells and may mediate vasculopathy in cardiac allografts subjected to chronic immunological injury. Therefore, we examined cardiac expression of aFGF, the number of rejection episodes, and other potential risk factors in 32 heart transplant patients who underwent intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) for detection of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV). As defined by IVUS, CAV was present in 21 patients and absent in 11 patients (follow-up time: 52 +/- 21 vs. 51 +/- 12 months, respectively, P = NS). The level of aFGF in myocardial biopsies obtained at the time of IVUS was measured by semiquantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and expressed as the aFGF:GAPDH ratio. Higher level of aFGF were associated with CAV (mean aFGF:GAPDH ratio was 1.45 +/- 0.99 in patients with vs. 0.18 +/- 0.12 in patients without CAV [P < 0.001]). A strong association was found between high levels of cardiac aFGF and CAV, as 18 of 19 patients (95%) with high levels of aFGF (aFGF:GAPDH > 1) but only 3 of 13 patients with low levels of aFGF had CAV (P < 0.001). The relative risk of high level of aFGF for CAV was 4.1. Untreated low grade rejection (ISHLT I), but not treated high grade rejection (ISHLT > 2), was also associated with CAV (average number of untreated low grade rejection episodes was 3.5 +/- 1.8 in patients with vs. 2.1 +/- 1.0 in patients without CAV [P = 0.04]). Among other risk factors examined (age, sex, serum cholesterol, blood pressure, CMV infection, dose of immunosuppressants, and ischemic time), only triglycerides were higher in patients with than those without CAV (P = 0.003). We conclude that increased cardiac production of aFGF is significantly associated with CAV, which suggests that aFGF may serve as an important mediator in CAV. Untreated low grade rejection also poses an increased risk for CAV.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Apr
pubmed:issn
0041-1337
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:day
15
pubmed:volume
59
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
1005-10
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1995
pubmed:articleTitle
Association of acidic fibroblast growth factor and untreated low grade rejection with cardiac allograft vasculopathy.
pubmed:affiliation
Vanderbilt Transplant Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't