Extracellular matrix structure after heart transplantation

• Published in: International journal of cardiology 1999, Vol.68 (1), p.115-120
• Main Authors: Schacherer, Ch, Koops, D, Wiemer, J, Hartmann, A, Weis, M, Klepzig, H, Zeiher, A.M, Olbrich, H.G
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis of Variance; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated - metabolism; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated - pathology; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated - surgery; Collagen - metabolism; Collagen I; Extracellular matric structure; Extracellular Matrix - metabolism; Female; Fibronectins - metabolism; Heart Transplantation; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Immunohistochemistry; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Statistics, Nonparametric; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgery of the heart
• ISSN: 0167-5273; 1874-1754
• DOI: 10.1016/S0167-5273(98)00341-6

Following heart transplantation remodeling of the donor heart causes changes in the extracellular myocardial matrix. We investigated 20 right ventricular endomyocardial biopsies taken 17±4 days (group I, n=9) and 63±13 days (group II, n=11) after heart transplantation from 16 patients transplanted for end-stage cardiomyopathy (15 dilated/1 ischemic). Immunohistochemical staining for collagen I, collagen III, collagen IV, and fibronectin was used. Evaluation was performed at a magnification of 400× using a computer-assisted image analyzing system measuring the relative area stained by the immunoperoxidase method, the number of cells in the given area, and the total area. Collagen I per cell was 13.9±5.9 μm 2 in group I and increased significantly 66±13 days after heart transplantation in the perimysium around the myocardial cells as well as in the endocardium to 49.9±15.1 μm 2 ( P