Natural Antibodies and Left Ventricular Assist Device Complications

Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) are widely used as a bridge to heart transplantation or destination therapy for advanced heart failure. However, hemocompatibility-related complications such as pump thrombosis, stroke and bleeding remain frequent. We previously reported that LVAD implantation is followed by a sharp increase in serum levels of IgG natural antibodies (Nabs) recognizing oxidation-specific epitopes (OSE). Nabs have been implicated in inflammatory reactions related to atherosclerosis, ischemic stroke and primary graft dysfunction following heart transplantation.

Source: The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation - March 16, 2019 Category: Transplant Surgery Authors: S.B. See, A. Pinsino, N. Kunimune, D. Onat, E. Hittesdorf, A.R. Garan, V.K. Topkara, N. Yoshifumi, H. Takayama, K. Takeda, P.C. Colombo, G. Wagener, M. Yuzefpolskaya, E. Zorn Tags: 606 Source Type: research