CLINICAL SIGNIFICATION OF MARKER OF NEOANGIOGENESIS PLACENTA GROWTH FACTOR PLGF IN HEART TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS

Abstract

In transplanted hearts, peri- and postoperative ischemic and alloimmune stimuli may be interpreted as inadequate tissue perfusion leading to activation of angiogenic signaling. Placenta growth factor (PLGF) is a marker of neoangiogenesis, belonge to vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) family. It has been shown that PLGF serum levels are elevated during acute rejection and decrease after immunosuppressive therapy in pediatric heart transplant recipients. The study was aimed to investigate clinical and prognostic significance of PLGF in heart transplant recipients. 34 patients (pts) (42,5 ± 8,5 years, 29 men and 5 women, 21 patient with dilated cardiomyopathy, 13 – with ischemic heart disease) underwent heart transplantation (HTx) and were examined before and after HTx. Our results showed that pretransplant PLGF is a marker of posttransplant cardiovascular risk. Revealing PLGF plasma level in recipients during the first year after HTx also has prognostic value concerning development of cardiovascular complications. In the remote terms (1–16 years) after HTx PLGF plasma levels were significantly higher in recipients with TxCAD than in recipients without TxCAD. These findings confirm participation of PLGF in damage of the transplanted heart vessels.

Keywords

• heart transplantation
• transplant coronary artery disease
• placenta growth factor