BENEFITS OF LYMPHOID IRRADIATION IN HEART TRANSPLANTATION RELATED ANTHEROSCLEROSIS

Lymphoid irradiation could make a comeback once again after being supplanted by immunosuppressive drugs during the last few years. Dr. Marc P. Pelletier and colleagues from Stanford University in California presented some interesting data at the international society for heart and lung transplantation meeting in Vancouver, Canada, earlier this year.

They conducted a retrospective analysis of post – transplant angiograms in a group of 31 cardiac transplant patients who required total lymphoid irradiation for persistent or recurrent allograft. The researchers reported that even though the study group had more rejection episodes that the controls and also a greater proportion of ischemic heart disease, only 8 of 31 patients in the study group developed any evidence of atherosclerosis an angiography testing, versus 19 of 32 in the control group.

Dr. Pelletier did point out that while the findings were interesting, a randomized trial would be needed to provide conclusive results, but this patient population is very difficult to randomize.