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Noninvasive PET quantitative myocardial blood flow with regadenoson for assessing cardiac allograft vasculopathy in orthotopic heart transplantation patients

  • Original Article
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Journal of Nuclear Cardiology Aims and scope

Abstract

Background

Risk stratification and early detection of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is essential in orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) patients. This study assesses the changes in myocardial blood flow (MBF) noninvasively in OHT patients using quantitative cardiac PET with regadenoson.

Methods

Twelve patients (Group 1) (8 males, 4 females, mean age 55 ± 7 years) with no history of post OHT myocardial ischemia were enrolled 5.4 ± 2.0 years after OHT. Fifteen patients (Group 2) (9 males, 6 females, mean age 71 ± 9 years) with intermediate pretest probability but not documented evidence for coronary artery disease (CAD) were also included to serve as control. Global and regional MBFs were assessed using dynamic 13N-NH3 PET at rest and during regadenoson-induced hyperemia. The coronary flow reserve (CFR) was also calculated as the ratio of hyperemic to resting MBF.

Results

Mean regadenoson-induced rate-pressure products were similar in both groups, while there was an increase in resting rate-pressure product in Group 1 patients. Both mean and median values of resting MBF were higher in Group 1 than Group 2 patients (1.33 ± 0.31 and 1.01 ± 0.21 mL/min/g for Groups 1 and 2, respectively, P < .001), while mean hyperemic MBF values were similar in both Groups (2.68 ± 0.84 and 2.64 ± 0.94 mL/min/g, P = NS) but median hyperemic MBF values were lower in Group 1 than Group 2 patients (2.0 vs. 2.60 mL/min/g, P = .018). Both mean and median CFR values demonstrated a significant reduction for Group 1 compared to Group 2 patients (2.07 ± 0.74 vs 2.63 ± 0.48, P = .025).

Conclusions

This study suggests that the MBF in OHT patients may be abnormal at resting state with diminished CFR. This hints that the epicardial and microvascular coronary subsystem may be exacerbated after OHT leading to the gradual progression of CAV.

French Abstract

Contexte

Cette étude pilote par tomographie a positrons évalue de manière quantitative les changements de perfusion myocardique et le risque de vasculopathie coronaire après transplantation cardiaque chez l’être humain.

Méthodes

Douze patients (groupe 1) (8 hommes, 4 femmes, âge moyen 55 ± 7 ans) sans antécédents d'ischémie myocardique post-chirurgicale ont été étudiés après 5,4 ± 2,0 ans après transplantation cardiaque. Quinze patients (groupe 2) (9 hommes, 6 femmes, âge moyen 71 ± 9 ans) avec une probabilité intermédiaire mais sans signes objectifs de maladie coronarienne ont servi de contrôles. Les donnes de perfusion myocardique globales et régionales ont été évaluées par tomographie à positrons l'aide de 13N-NH3 au repos et durant l'hyperémie induite par le vasodilatateur coronarien régadénoson. La réserve de flux coronarien a été calculée sur base du rapport entre le flux myocardique hyperhémique induit par le régadénoson et le flux myocardique au repos.

Résultats

les double produits (fréquence cardiaque x tension artérielle) moyens après régadénoson furent similaires chez les deux groups de patients. Par contre le double produit au repos était plus élevé dans le groupe de patient transplantés. Les valeurs moyennes et médianes de perfusion myocardique globale au repos ont été calculées à 1.33 ± 0.31 ml/min/g dans le groupe de patients transplantés et 1.01 ± 0.21 ml/min/g dans le groupe control (P < 0.001). Après régadénoson, les valeurs moyennes de perfusion myocardique se sont avérées similaires dans les deux groupes (2,68 ± 0,84 et 2,64 ± 0,94 ml/min/g, P > 0.05). Néanmoins les valeurs médianes se sont avérées inferieures dans le groupe 1 comparativement au groupe control (2,0 versus 2,60 ml/min/g; P = 0,018). Les valeurs moyennes et médianes de réserve de flux myocardique mesurées étaient significativement réduites chez les patient transplantés (2,07 ± 0,74) en comparaison aux patients du groupe 2 (2,63 ± 0,48; P = 0.025).

Conclusion

La perfusion myocardique au repos peut s’avérer anormale après transplantation cardiaque et s’accompagner d’une diminution de la réserve du flux coronaire. Cette étude pilote suggère que les vaisseaux épicardiques et la micro-vascularisation du myocarde peuvent être atteints après transplantation et conduire à la maladie coronaire du greffon.

Spanish Abstract

Antecedentes

la estratificación de riesgo y detección temprana de la vasculopatía del aloinjerto cardiaco (VAC) es esencial en los pacientes con trasplante cardiaco ortotópico (TCO). El presente estudio evalúa de forma no invasiva los cambios en el flujo sanguíneo miocárdico (FSM) en pacientes con TCO utilizando el PET cardiaco cuantitativo con regadenoson.

Métodos

Doce pacientes (Grupo 1) (8 hombres, 4 mujeres, edad promedio 55 ± 7 años) sin historia de isquemia miocárdica posterior al TCO fueron incluidos después de 5.4 ± 2.0 años de ser trasplantados. Quince pacientes (Grupo 2) (9 hombres, 6 mujeres, edad promedio 71 ± 9 años) con probabilidad pre-prueba intermedia pero sin evidencia documentada de enfermedad arterial coronaria (EAC) fueron incluidos como grupo control. El FSM global y regional fueron evaluados utilizando el estudio PET dinámico con 13N-NH3 en reposo y durante la inducción de hiperemia con regadenoson. La reserva de flujo coronario (RFC) también fue calculada como la proporción entre el FSM hiperémico y el de reposo.

Resultados

el producto de velocidad-presión promedio inducido por regadenoson fue similar en ambos grupos, mientras que existió un incremento de este producto velocidad-presión durante el reposo en el Grupo 1 de pacientes. Los valores de la media y mediana del FSM de reposo fueron mayores en el Grupo 1 que el Grupo 2 de pacientes (1.33 ± 0.31 y 1.01 ± 0.21 mL/min/g para los Grupos 1 y 2, respectivamente, P < 0.001). La media de los valores del FSM hiperémico fueron similares en ambos grupos (2.68 ± 0.84 and 2.64 ± 0.94 mL/min/g, P = NS), sin embargo la mediana fue menor en el Grupo 1 que en el Grupo 2 (2.0 vs. 2.60 mL/min/g, P = .018). Tanto la media como la mediana para los valores de la RFC demostraron una disminución significativa en el Grupo 1 comparada con el Grupo 2 (2.07 ± 0.74 vs. 2.63 ± 0.48, P = 0.025).

Conclusiones

El presente estudio sugiere que el FSM en pacientes con TCO puede estar alterado en reposo con una RFC disminuida. Esto indica que los sistemas coronarios epicardico y microvascular pudieran estar inflamados posterior al TCO conduciendo a una progresión gradual de la VAC.

Chinese Abstract

背景

对于原位心脏移植 (OHT) 病人, 早期检测移植心脏血管病变 (CAV) 和进行危险分层是必要的。 本研究拟通过类伽腺苷定 心脏 PET 显像, 非侵入性地评估 OHT 病人心肌血流 (MBF) 的变化。

方法

研究对象分为两组。 第一组, 12个病人 (8 男, 4女, 平均 55 ± 7岁), OHT 后 5.4 ± 2.0 年, 没有 OHT 后心肌缺血。 第二组 (对照组), 15 个病人 (9 男, 6 女, 平均 71 ± 9 岁), 中等冠心病可能, 但尚未确诊。 分别于静息及类伽腺苷药物负荷下, 动态采集 13N-NH3 PET 图像, 获得整体和局部 MBF。冠脉血流储备 (CFR) 通过负荷 MBF /静息 MBF 计算而得。

结果

类伽腺苷负荷时, 反映心肌耗氧 的心率血压乘积在两组间没有差异, 但在静息时, 第一组明显高于第二组。静息时, 第一组 MBF 的平均值高于第二组 (1.33 ± 0.31 vs. 1.01 ± 0.21 mL/min/g, P < 0.001); 负荷时, 两组 MBF 的平均值无差异 (2.68 ± 0.84 vs. 2.64 ± 0.94 mL/min/g, P = NS), 但 MBF 的中位数第一组要低于第二组 (2.0 vs. 2.60 mL/min/g, P = 0.018), 且第一组 CFR 的平均值明显低于第二组 (2.07 ± 0.74 vs. 2.63 ± 0.48, P = 0.025)。

结论

在原位心脏移植病人中, 冠脉血流储备以及静息心肌血流 均呈现明显异常。提示原位心脏移植后, 冠状动脉心外膜血管与微小血管功能均受损, 进而将逐渐导致移植心脏血管病变。

关键词

动态PET, 类伽腺苷, 冠状动脉血流储备, 原位心脏移植, 移植心脏血管病变。

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Abbreviations

CA:

Coronary angiography

CABG:

Coronary bypass graft surgery

CAD:

Coronary artery disease

CAV:

Cardiac allograft vasculopathy

CFR:

Coronary flow reserve

IVUS:

Intravascular ultrasonography

LAD:

Left anterior descending artery

LCX:

Left circumflex artery

MBF:

Myocardial blood flow

OHT:

Orthotopic heart transplantation

RCA:

Right coronary artery

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Acknowledgments

Authors would like to thank nuclear medicine technologists and cyclotron and clinical staff at UCSF China Basin imaging facility for conducting patient scans. The study was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health under grant R01 HL050663.

Disclosure

The authors have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, 185 Berry St., Suite 350, San Francisco, CA, 94143-0946, USA

    Miguel Hernandez Pampaloni MD, PhD, Uttam M. Shrestha PhD, Youngho Seo PhD, Grant T. Gullberg PhD & Elias H. Botvinick MD

  2. Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Maria Sciammarella MD & Elias H. Botvinick MD

Authors
  1. Miguel Hernandez Pampaloni MD, PhD
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  2. Uttam M. Shrestha PhD
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  3. Maria Sciammarella MD
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  4. Youngho Seo PhD
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  5. Grant T. Gullberg PhD
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  6. Elias H. Botvinick MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Uttam M. Shrestha PhD.

Additional information

JNC thanks Erick Alexanderson MD, Carlos Guitar MD, and Diego Vences MD, UNAM, Mexico, for providing the Spanish abstract, and Haipeng Tang MS, Zhixin Jiang MD, and Weihua Zhou PhD, for providing the Chinese abstract, and Jean-Luc Urbain, MD, PhD, CPE, Past President CANM, Chief Nuclear Medicine, Lebanon VAMC, PA, for providing the French abstract.

An audio interview was held September 8th, 2016 between the Associate Editor, Ernest V. Garcia, and Miguel Hernandez, co-author of this article. An audio file of the interview is available as an. mp3 download at the article webpage on SpringerLink.com, and can be found by searching for doi:10.1007/s12350-016-0761-3. Please note: at 3 min and 50 sec, the observation should instead state that “…the resting rate-pressure product of the transplant patients was HIGHER than the control group…”.

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Pampaloni, M.H., Shrestha, U.M., Sciammarella, M. et al. Noninvasive PET quantitative myocardial blood flow with regadenoson for assessing cardiac allograft vasculopathy in orthotopic heart transplantation patients. J. Nucl. Cardiol. 24, 1134–1144 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12350-016-0761-3

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