Background . Quality of life (QoL) is an important criterion for the treatment effi cacy that provides an important data regarding patient’s personal estimation of social adaptation and ability to perform daily duties. Methods.  The study was aimed to evaluate QoL in cardiac transplant recipients. We have enrolled 42 stage D heart failure patients aged 29–61 (mean 39,23 ± 12,31 y/o), 38 males and 4 females, survived cardiac transplant surgery between Jan 2008 and Jan 2013. QoL was evaluated using the SF-36 survey prior to the heart surgery and during the follow-up period up to the 5 years. Results. Pre-operative assessment revealed low QoL indices of physical activity as well as general health status. Follow-up showed dramatic improvement in all QoL measures during 1 year after the surgery which was consistent through the whole observation period. There was an increase in physical functioning index by 2,8 times (p < 0,01), physical status dependent role functioning by 14 times (р < 0,0001), emotional status dependent role functioning by 3 times (р = 0,02), social functioning by 4,8 times (p = 0,002), pain threshold by 3 times (p = 0,02), psychic health by 3,6 times (p = 0,001), life activity by 2,6 times (p = 0,003), and total health by 1,6 times (p = 0,03). Physical activity was restored in 90% of patients during the fi rst year. Conclusion. The study shows signifi cant improvement in all QoL variables after heart transplantation in stage D heart failure patients. Main indices of physical, psychical, and social activities rise at the fi rst year and remain high during the 5-year period. These data support heart transplantation as a radical and effective method of terminal heart failure treatment.

Aim of the study is to show the pathogenetic importance of myocardial revascularization and to estimate quantitatively effi ciency of the treatment of cardiac allograft vasculopathy after heart transplantation. Materials and  methods . 30 percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) were performed to recipients of heart transplant (8 men and 7 women, aged from 18 to 56 years), who were diagnosed with cardiac allograft vasculopathy by coronary angiography within the time period from 1,5 to 12 years after heart transplantation. Before revascularization and one week after tolerances to physical activity, volume characteristics of the left ventricle were defi ned and diastolic function of heart was estimated. Average term of observation after stenting was 35,5 ± 5,5 months. Results.  Tolerance to physical activity (from 76,6 ± 8,5 to 116,9 ± 9,6 W), its duration (from 5,4 ± 2,2 to 8,5 ± 4,1 min) and rate pressure product – RPP (from 198 ± 15 to 247 ± 24 P < 0,05) increased. There was a restoration of diastolic function (Ve/Va from 0,57 ± 0,18 to 1,15 ± 0,2 P < 0,05). Signifi cant distinction in time frames of vasculopathy development, frequency and reasons of repeated interventions depending on age of patients is revealed. In the group of patients younger than 30 years of age (7 patients), the time interval between heart transplantation and vasculopathy development is twice shorter, than in more senior patient group, over 45 years old (8 patients). Young patients showed the expressed tendency to develop stent restenosis (20 coronary interventions). Conclusion.  Dynamics in functional condition of the left ventricle as a result of revascularization confi rms the leading role of miocardial ischemia in pathogenesis of transplant insuffi ciency due to vasculopathy. The signifi cant factor infl uencing upon long-term result of coronary intervention is the age of the patient.

Soluble form of CD40L is platelet activating factor, which is a marker of in fl ammation and thrombosis. Elevated levels of sCD40L before the heart transplantation are associated with the risk of early development of cardiova- scular complications. The study included 54 patients who had received heart transplants. All recipients received a triple heart immu- nosuppressive therapy, including methylprednisolone, mycophenolate mofetil and cyclosporine A (20 recipients) or methylprednisolone, mycophenolate mofetil and tacrolimus (34 recipients). Patients were not differed by age, gender, etiology of heart failure before heart transplantation (p > 0,05). In the fi rst group of transplant recipients, the relative risk of cardiovascular events with high sCD40L levels before transplantation was 3 2 (95% CI 1,4; 12,0). In the second group of recipients, respectively, 2.69 (95% CI 1,1; 8,5). SCD40L level after heart transplan- tation was signi fi cantly higher for patients receiving cyclosporine (P < 0.05). Increasing concentrations of sCD40L are associated with a higher incidence of cardiovascular complications.

Cytomegalovirus infection may be associated with the development of acute cellular rejection – the most fre- quent and serious complication after heart transplantation, limiting long-term survival of recipients. Biomarkers of inflammation and thrombosis, one of which is the product of platelet activation – a soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L), also play an important role in the immunopathology of acute rejection. The aim of the study was to assess the risk of cardiovascular complications after heart transplantation under the combined effect of two factors – sCD40L and cytomegalovirus infection. We examined 64 heart recipients in the period of 12 years after heart transplantation. It was revealed that with the presence of elevated levels of sCD40L in combination with cytomegalovirus infection, risk of acute cellular rejection is higher. In recipients with low levels of sCD40L and without cytomegalovirus infection survival rate is significantly higher than in recipients with the presence of one or both of the studied risk factors.

Endomyocardial diagnostic biopsies, recipient heart removed at operation, endomyocardial biopsies of allotransplants and postmortem material were studied using immunofluorescence to specify immunopathological process and to detect humoral rejection. Altogether 306 samples from 55 patients were studied. In the early postoperative period (one year) 8 out of 18 patients with heart transplants repeatedly showed immunopathologic picture of acute humoral (vascular) rejection which was characterized by a widespread immunoglobulin G and complement fixation in the capillary walls accompanied by enhanced capillary permeability and fibrin deposition in intestitial tissue. Such patients often had graft dysfunction. 1 to 5 years after transplantation in 24 out of 37 patients discrete focal immunoglobulin and complement fixation was observed as one of chronic rejection component.