Organ Transplantation Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Organ Transplantation, including details on risks, prognosis, procedure, surgery.

Long-term effect of folic acid therapy in heart transplant recipients: follow-up analysis of a randomized study.

Potena L, Grigioni F, Masetti M, Magnani G, Coccolo F, Fallani F, Russo A, Pizzuti M, Scalone A, Bianchi IG, Branzi A

Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. luciano.potena2@unibo.it

BACKGROUND: Folic acid therapy reduces homocysteine plasma levels, which seem to influence occurrence of cardiac allograft vasculopathy, but its effect on medium- or long-term prognosis after heart transplantation is unknown. METHODS: We analyzed 7-year outcome of 51 recipients randomized to receive 15 mg/day of methyltertrahydrofolate for 1 year after heart transplantation or standard therapy alone (originally, for intravascular ultrasound study of short-term cardiac allograft vasculopathy progression); recipients were observed for a further 5 to 6 years. RESULTS: Overall, 13 deaths occurred (six oncologic, five cardiovascular, two infective). Estimated 7-year survival was better in recipients randomized to folate (88%+/-6% vs. 61%+/-9%, P=0.04). After adjusting for age, pretransplant coronary artery disease, and hyperhomocysteinemia, posttransplant folic acid therapy was associated with lower mortality (relative risk [RR] 0.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.25-0.97; P=0.036), apparently driven by reductions in both cancer-related and cardiovascular causes. Reduced mortality was marked in a high-risk subgroup comprising older recipients and patients transplanted because of coronary artery disease (RR 0.43, 95% CI 0.17-0.85) but not in the lower-risk subgroup (RR 1.11, 95% CI 0.22-5.61). CONCLUSIONS: Although further studies are needed, it seems reasonable to suggest folate therapy to heart transplant recipients. It is possible that properties other than homocysteine reduction may provide antitumoral benefits.

Published 23 April 2008 in Transplantation, 85(8): 1146-50.
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