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    J Pediatr. 2008 May;152(5):671-7. Epub 2007 Dec 21.

    Infectious, malignant, and autoimmune complications in pediatric heart transplant recipients.

    Kulikowska A, Boslaugh SE, Huddleston CB, Gandhi SK, Gumbiner C, Canter CE.

    Department of Pediatrics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. kulikowska_a@kids.wustl.edu

    OBJECTIVE: To review clinical courses of pediatric heart transplant survivors after 5 years from transplantation for infections, lymphoproliferative, and autoimmune diseases. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 71 patients were examined in 2 groups, infant recipients (underwent transplant <1 year of age, n = 38) and older recipients (underwent transplant >1 year, n = 33). All patients received comparable immunosuppression. Calculated occurrence rates were reported as means per 10 years of follow-up with SEs. Differences were examined by using Poisson regression. RESULTS: Infant recipients had significantly higher (P < .001) occurrence rates of severe (mean, 2.04 +/- 0.5) and chronic infections (mean, 4.58 +/- 0.67) compared with older recipients (means, 0.37 +/- 0.19 and 1.87 +/- 0.70, respectively). Types of infections were similar to those in the general population with extremely rare opportunistic infections; however, they were more severe and resistant to treatment. Autoimmune disorders occurred at a frequency comparable with lymphoproliferative diseases and were observed in 7 of 38 infants (18%). Most common were autoimmune cytopenias. CONCLUSIONS: Infant heart transplant recipients who survive in the long term have higher occurrence rates of infections compared with older recipients. Autoimmune disorders are a previously unrecognized morbidity in pediatric heart transplantation.

    PMID: 18410772 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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