Lung or Heart-Lung Transplant in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: What Is the Impact of Systemic Sclerosis?

OBJECTIVES

Little is known about recipient characteristics and outcomes of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension undergoing lung transplant, particularly those with systemic sclerosis-associated disease. Here, we describe the characteristics and outcomes of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension undergoing lung transplant, focusing on systemic sclerosis-associated disease.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study included pulmonary arterial hypertension patients undergoing lung or heart-lung transplant between July 1992 and August 2013 at a single center.

RESULTS

We evaluated 51 patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (37.3% males; mean age of 45.3 ± 11.9 y). Of 51 patients, 9 (17.6%) had systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension. Pulmonary arterial hypertension patients without systemic sclerosis-associated disease had higher mean pulmonary arterial pressure (P = .002), higher pulmonary vascular resistance (P = .008), and were more likely to have severe right ventricular systolic dysfunction (P = .006) than individuals with the disease. Mean hospital stay posttransplant was similar in the 2 groups (42.2 ± 43.3 vs 43.1 ± 19.4 d; P = .20). Higher pretransplant creatinine clearance (P = .0005), forced vital capacity (P = .01), and absence of vasopressor/inotrope use (P = .03) were associated with shorter hospital stay. Mortality for pulmonary arterial hypertension patients with versus without systemic sclerosis-associated disease was 0% versus 13% at 1 year, 29% versus 24% at 2 years, and 86% versus 53% at 5 years. Female sex (hazard ratio, 0.23; 95% confidence interval, 0.08-0.68) and less severe tricuspid regurgitation (hazard ratio, 0.31; 95% confidence interval, 0.11-0.89) were independently associated with long-term survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Pulmonary arterial hypertension patients with versus without systemic sclerosis-associated disease have comparable short-term and 2-year outcomes after lung or heart-lung transplant. Female sex and less severe tricuspid regurgitation were independently associated with better long-term survival. These outcomes did not vary when adjusted for the year of transplant.