JHLT: The Podcast (ISHLT)

On this episode of JHLT: The Podcast, the Digital Media Editors invite lead author Jan Van Slambrouck, MD, to discuss the paper, “The effect of rewarming ischemia on tissue transcriptome and metabolome signatures: A clinical observational study in lung transplantation.”

Dr. Van Slambrouck is a general surgeon who’s just finished his PhD training at the KU Leuven lab of respiratory disease and thoracic surgery in Belgium.

The episode explores: 

• How rewarming ischemia time (RIT) affects donor lungs, especially on the molecular level
• The pace of rewarming and how prior literature prepared the team to track and evaluate it
• Clinical strategies to reduce RIT and directly address molecular changes

For the latest studies from JHLT, visit www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, access your Journal membership at www.ishlt.org/jhlt.

Those involved in the pulmonary vascular disease space should tune in again later this month for a study on the safety and efficacy of riociguat in patients with PAH.

Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

On the second November episode of JHLT: The Podcast, the Digital Media Editors continue MCS-month with a paper from the November issue of JHLT, entitled “Aortic insufficiency in the patient on contemporary durable left ventricular assist device support: A state-of-the-art review on perioperative and postoperative assessment and management.” 

First author Diyar Saeed, MD, PhD, of the Heart Center Niderrhein, and senior author Jennifer Cowger, MD, MS, of Henry Ford Hospitals both join the podcast.

You’ll hear about:

• Why LVAD patients develop new and progressive aortic regurgitation—and how contemporary devices may differ
• Associated hemodynamic events
• Intraoperative surgical techniques
• Slowing the progression of the condition and monitoring it post-op
• Early interventions

For the latest studies from JHLT, visit www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, access your Journal membership at www.ishlt.org/jhlt.

If you haven’t yet tuned in for the first November episode of the podcast, MCS enthusiasts will be happy to know the paper discusses temporary MCS devices in acute RV failure.

Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

On the second August episode of JHLT: The Podcast, the Digital Media Editors discuss a paper from the August issue of JHLT, entitled “A modular simulation framework for organ allocation.”The episode is hosted by Digital Media Editor Erika Lease, MD, FCCP, a transplant pulmonologist from the University of Washington.

The guests for this episode are first author Johnie Rose, MD, PhD, of the Center for Community Health Integration at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and lead author Maryam Valapour, MD, MPP, of the Department of Pulmonary Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic.

In the episode, Drs. Rose and Valapour share the findings from their study, and tackle questions about the limitations of simulation models, what makes their COMET model different from past Simulation Allocation Models (SAMs), and why they made the project open-source.

Follow along at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, access your Journal membership at www.ishlt.org/jhlt.

Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

On this episode of JHLT: The Podcast, the JHLT Digital Media Editors explore two studies from the July issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. Digital Media Editor Marty Tam, MD, a transplant cardiologist from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, hosts this episode.

First, Dr. Tam and Digital Media Editor Erika Lease, MD, FCCP, interview their first guest, Daniel Calabrese, MD, first author on the study “Macrophage and CD8 T cell discordance are associated with acute lung allograft dysfunction progression.” The study’s authors sought to tackle challenges behind early detection of chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) by identifying biomarkers associated with acute lung allograft dysfunction (ALAD) progression to CLAD.

To do this, they collected bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells at the time of ALAD diagnosis and performed single cell RNA sequencing to identify significant differences in 26 unique cell populations across groups, with discordant CD8 T cells and macrophages providing the best discrimination between ALAD with decline from ALAD with recovery and controls.

Dr. Calabrese discusses how his team identified the diagnostic criteria, why the biomarkers might lead ALAD to progress to CLAD, and how the findings might lead to early targeted therapies.

Next, Dr. Tam joins and Digital Media Editor Khue Ton, MD and David Schibilsky, MD, to interview their next guest, David D’Alessandro, MD, the Surgical Director of Cardiac Transplantation and MCS at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Dr. D’Alessandro was the first author on the study “Impact of controlled hypothermic preservation on outcomes following heart transplantation,” which sought to assess the impact of the Paragonix SherpaPak Cardiac Transport System, a device allowing controlled hypothermic  preservation, on rates of primary graft dysfunction (PGD) and post-transplant mortality.

The key finding was that controlled hypothermic preservation was associated with a lower incidence of severe PGD – 6.6% compared to ice storage at 10.4%. In the conversation, Dr. D’Alessandro answers questions about the need for innovation over traditional ice cold storage, the greatest advantages of controlled hypothermic approaches, and the next steps in this research.

Follow along at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, access your Journal membership at www.ishlt.org/jhlt.

Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

In this special episode of JHLT: The Podcast, the Digital Media Editors connect with Joseph Rogers, MD, the new Editor-in-Chief of JHLT.

In the conversation, Dr. Rogers shares more about his vision for the Journal, how he plans to tackle the challenges and opportunities facing the publication, and a little about his life both inside and outside of medicine.

In addition to being the new Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Rogers is the President and CEO of the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, a past president of the ISHLT, and a prolific contributor to the field of heart and lung transplantation.

For the latest studies from JHLT, visit www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, access your Journal membership at www.ishlt.org/jhlt.

Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

On the June episode of JHLT: The Podcast, the Digital Media Editors explore two manuscripts from the June issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, with authors from the US and Denmark.

First, hear from senior author Steven R. Hays, MD, on his team’s study “Design and implementation of a digital health home spirometry intervention for remote monitoring of lung transplant function,” which explores digital health and comes out of UCSF. In the study, the authors developed an automated digital health intervention using Bluetooth-enabled home spirometers to monitor for complications after lung transplantation. Using a chat-based application, patients could perform home spirometry, answer symptom queries, and receive patient education. The program could also alert both the patient and center providers to substantial decreases in FEV1 from baseline—and any other concerning symptoms.

Dr. Hays and Digital Media Editors Erika Lease, MD, and Van-Khue Ton, MD, PhD, discuss how COVID-19 created a serendipitous moment to fund the study, and some of the most valuable lessons from the rollout of the program, including creating efficiencies among the transplant team, proper resourcing, and next steps for perfecting the program.

Next, the editors welcome first author Niels Moeslund, MD, PhD, from Aarhus University in Denmark, to discuss the paper, “Ex-situ oxygenated hypothermic machine perfusion in donation after circulatory death heart transplantation following either direct procurement or in-situ normothermic regional perfusion.” In the study, authors set out to explore the use of oxygenated hypothermic machine perfusion as an alternative to in-situ normothermic regional perfusion or ex-situ normothermic machine perfusion of DCD hearts. They used a porcine model to simulate a DCD setting, and performed either normothermic regional perfusion and static cold storage; normothermic regional perfusion with hypothermic machine perfusion with the XVIVO heart preservation system; or direct procurement with hypothermic machine perfusion—all before heart transplantation was performed.

Digital Media Editor David Schibilsky, MD, digs in with Dr. Moeslund on the main findings of the study, in which HMP hearts showed better contractility after transplantation despite significantly lower inotropic support. Why? Dr. Moeslund shares that the hypothermia of HMP keeps metabolic activity low while myocytes are being replenished, creating maximum potential for energy restoration.

Follow along at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

On this episode of JHLT: The Podcast, the JHLT Digital Media Editors discuss a brand new consensus document from the ISHLT entitled “Strategies to Prevent Hemocompatibility Related Adverse Events in Patients with a Durable, Continuous-Flow Ventricular Assist Device.” The episode is hosted by Digital Media Editor Erika Lease, MD, FCCP, a transplant pulmonologist from the University of Washington.

The consensus document’s lead author, Ian Hollis, PharmD, a heart failure pharmacist and Associate Professor from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, joins the podcast to discuss the document.  During the discussion, he’s reunited with co-author and JHLT Podcast co-host Van-Khue Ton, MD, for a lively discussion of the document’s findings and takeaways.

If you work with heart failure patients with durable VADs, you’ll want to listen to this episode—and check out the complete document at ISHLT.

Stay tuned for a second episode later this month, where we’ll be talking about a modular simulation framework for organ allocation.

On this episode of JHLT: The Podcast, the Digital Media Editors invite author Ioana Preston, MD, to discuss the paper, “Efficacy and safety of sotatercept across ranges of cardiac index in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension: A pooled analysis of PULSAR and STELLAR.”

Dr. Preston is the director of the pulmonary hypertension center at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, Massachusetts, and has over 20 years of experience in caring for patients with PH, as well as multiple clinical trials in PH.

The episode explores:

• What makes sotatercept unique as the first “biologic” in the treatment of PAH
• Hypotheses about the mechanism of action in sotatercept
• Sotatercept’s interaction with mPAP and what it indicates about the drug’s action on the pulmonary vasculature

For the latest studies from JHLT, visit www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, access your Journal membership at www.ishlt.org/jhlt.

Those involved in the heart failure and mechanical circulatory support should tune in again later this month for a study on apixaban plasma levels in patients with HeartMate 3 support.

Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

This month, Daniel R. Goldstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of JHLT, and the JHLT Digital Media Editors are discussing two studies from the July issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, one from the LVAD domain and the other from the field of lung transplantation. You’ll hear more about each of these studies, as well as the authors themselves.

First, the editors speak with Paulino Alvarez, MD, from the Cleveland Clinic, about his paper entitled “Outcomes of bariatric surgery in patients with left ventricular assist devices.” Dr. Goldstein, Marty Tam, MD, and Van-Khue Ton, MD, interview Dr. Alvarez about the study, which explores how treatments for obesity alter the course after LVAD implantations. They also discuss his background studying in Argentina, the differences in training in different countries, and how to incorporate interventions like rehab and nutrition in patients post-LVAD.

Next, a study on the lung transplant allocation system with co-authors Erika Lease, MD (pictured left, from the JHLT Digital Media Editorial team!) and Maryam Valapour, MD, MPP (pictured right). Drs. Lease and Valapour share details about their multidisciplinary backgrounds, and how those experiences have influenced their research careers. Then, they share details about their study: “Impact of incorporating long-term survival for calculating transplant benefit in the US lung transplant allocation system.” They discuss both components and challenges with the current US lung allocation system, then identify how their study explores the benefits of the continuous distribution of lungs (CD) allocation system.

Follow along in the July issue at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

This episode of JHLT: The Podcast, but not the studies within, is sponsored by Bayer Pharmaceuticals.

The JHLT Digital Media Editors explore two manuscripts from the October issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation—the first on lung transplantation in patients with stacked risks, and the second on bacterial pathogens found at driveline exit sites in patients with ventricular assist devices. Digital Media Editor Marty Tam, MD, assistant professor in the division of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Michigan, hosts this episode.

First, hear from senior author Edward Cantu, MD, MSCE, on his team’s study “Transplanting candidates with stacked risks negatively affects outcomes.”

Lung transplant centers are increasingly evaluating patients with multiple risk factors for adverse post-transplant outcomes, yet there is little data of the effects of these risks as they stack. The authors of the study used the UNOS registry data linked to the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) to create a national encounter-level sample of healthcare data in the United States, then applied a probabilistic matching algorithm using 7 variables and determined associations between mortality, length of stay, total charges, and disposition with the number of comorbidities.

For details on what the study found about how these risks affected patient success—based on factors like mortality, length of stay, duration of mechanical ventilation, need for ECMO-salvage, total charges, and discharge to a skilled nursing facility—listen to the discussion in the episode.

Next, the editors explored the study “Dynamics of bacterial pathogens at the driveline exit site in patients with ventricular assist devices: A prospective, observational, single-center cohort study.” While the authors weren’t able to join the episode, editors corresponded with senior author Monika Fürholz, MD, from the Bern University Hospital in Switzerland, before recording, and shared some of her insights.

Driveline exit site infections commonly occur in patients with LVADs, and can be a source of recurrent or deeper infections. Bacterial colonization of driveline exit sites has not been well studied, and transition from colonization to infection is also not well understood. The authors of this paper sought to address this by conducting a prospective, observational, single-center cohort study which included systematic and routine collection of driveline exit site skin swabs being taken between June 2019 and December 2021, even in the absence of suspected driveline infection. Bacteria were identified and a subset of the samples underwent whole-genome sequencing.

For details on what the study found, including a discussion of how the study findings might impact current practice, check out the episode.

Follow along at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

The JHLT Digital Media Editors explore two manuscripts from the August issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation—the first on immunosuppression in pediatric heart transplantation, and the second TA-NRP in DCD lung transplantation. Digital Media Editor Van-Khue Ton, MD, heart failure and transplant cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, hosts this episode.

First, hear from senior author Steven C. Greenway, MSc, MD, on his team’s study “Single-drug immunosuppression is associated with noninferior medium-term survival in pediatric heart transplant recipients.” Dr. Greenway shares his journey from enzyme biochemistry in mollusks, snails, and frogs to pediatric cardiology, then outlines the results of the paper.

The study queried the Pediatric Heart Transplant Society’s registry to determine the efficacy and safety of monotherapy immunosuppression. The results showed better graft survival and less coronary allograft vasculopathy in the monotherapy group, even after adjusted for age at transplant, sex, neonatal transplant, infection, PTLD, and etiology of cardiomyopathy. Dr. Greenway and the digital media editors discuss the burning questions that obviously arise from the study’s findings, the limitations of the paper, and what follow-up studies might start generating the answers that might eventually change clinical practice.

Next, the editors welcome first author Jad Malas, MD, to discuss the paper “The impact of thoracoabdominal normothermic regional perfusion on early outcomes in donation after circulatory death lung transplantation.” This study utilized the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) database to identify DCD donors whose heart was procured in order to evaluate lung utilization rates and early post-lung transplant outcomes. Lung utilization was similar between the groups—14.9% for the NRP group and 13.8% for direct procurement. Post-lung transplant rates of ECMO and mechanical ventilation at 72 hours were not statistically different, and 6-month survival was equivalent.

Dr. Malas and the Digital Media Editors discuss the study’s findings and implications, including exploring the background of NRP’s relationship to lung allografts, differences in assessment or procurement techniques, and what might be needed to further evaluate this procurement technique for lung allografts.

Follow along at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

This episode of JHLT: The Podcast, but not the studies within, is sponsored by Natera.

In our final episode of 2023, the JHLT Digital Media Editors have two manuscripts from the December 2023 issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation! Digital Media Editor Erika Lease, MD, transplant pulmonologist at the University of Washington in Seattle, hosts this episode.

First, a free-ranging conversation with first author Mark E. Snyder, MD, and senior author John F. McDyer, MD, on their team’s study “Impact of age and telomere length on circulating T cells and rejection risk after lung transplantation for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.”

A subset of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have a heritable, age-adjusted short telomere length. Mutations in telomere length can manifest as T-cell dysfunction and immunodeficiency. As T-cells are involved in the development of acute cellular rejection (ACR), the authors hypothesized that the combination of age and telomere length would impact the degree of ACR burden in lung transplant recipients—and indeed, the authors found that lung transplant recipients with IPF and short telomere length had premature “aging” of their circulating T-Cells. There was a significant decline in early ACR burden with increasing age, found only in those with short telomere length.

How might these findings impact immunosuppression regimens in clinical practice? What follow-up studies to they have planned? In the discussion, Drs. Snyder and McDyer, both of UPMC in Pittsburgh, discuss all these possibilities, as well as the the work of their collaborator, Jonathan K. Alder, PhD, as inspiration for the study.

Next, the editors explored “Early optical coherence tomography evaluation of donor-transmitted atherosclerosis and cardiac allograft vasculopathy: insights from a prospective, single-center study,” in a discussion with senior author Snehal R. Patel, MD, of the Montefiore Medical Center in New York.

Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) remains a major cause of death in heart transplant recipients, and donor-transmitted atherosclerosis (defined as a maximal intimal thickness of >/= 0.5mm on baseline intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) early after transplant) is believed to carry a greater risk for the development of CAV. Dr. Patel’s team, however, hypothesized that optical coherence tomography (OCT) may have advantages over IVUS as an imaging modality due to its higher resolution. In this prospective, observational study, the authors assessed the prognostic role of OCT, and found that transplant recipients whose OCT imaging showed advanced plaque characteristics had a significantly higher event rate after a mean follow up of 3.3 years. OCT was also an independent predictor of clinic events, while maximal intimal thickness of >/= 0.5mm was not.

In the episode, Dr. Patel shares the key features of OCT that may make it of clinical use, the three risk categories developed for the study, and what the follow-ups might be.

Follow along at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

Join Daniel R. Goldstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of JHLT, and the JHLT Digital Media Editors for two interviews with authors from the February issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation.

First, the editors speak with Georg Hansmann, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Hannover Medical School. Dr. Hansmann is the lead author on a paper entitled “Full recovery of right ventricular systolic function in children undergoing bilateral lung transplantation for severe PAH.” Beginning at 1:37, Erika Lease, MD, interviews Dr. Hansmann about the findings of the study, follow up recommendations, and potential practice changes in clinical settings.

Starting at 14:27, Marty Tam, MD, is in conversation with Jan Griffin, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, about her study from the February issue: “Surveillance for disease progression of transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) post heart transplantation in the era of novel disease modifying therapies.” Dr. Griffin discusses her team’s work on transplanting patients with TTR cardiac amyloidosis, a structured surveillance program, and disease modifying agents post-transplant.

Follow along in the February issue at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

El podcast de JHLTenEspañol: presentamos por primera vez un podcast de JHLT en Español, conducido por Marta Farrero, MD, PhD, en el que repasamos 4 artículos destacados de 2022, cada uno centrado en el foco de interés de las redes interdisciplinarias de ISHLT.

El artículo sobre soporte circulatorio se titula “La recuperación de la función ventricular se asocia con mejores resultados en asistencia ventricular”, con Cameron Olsen, MD, como primer firmante, y es comentado por el Sebastián Rojas, MD. Se analiza el impacto clínico favorable de la recuperación de la fracción de eyección por encima del 40% en una cohorte retrospectiva de pacientes con implante de asistencia ventricular de larga duración.

El artículo sobre trasplante pulmonar se titula “Síndrome del injerto restrictivo vs bronquiolitis obliterante: caracterización inmunológica y molecular de exosomas circulantes”, con Sandhya Bansal, PhD primer firmante, comentado por Alejandro Bertolotti, MD. Este trabajo se propone tratar de caracterizar la patogenia del rechazo crónico analizando el contenido de moléculas proinflamatorias y potencialmente inmunogénicas contenidas en exosomas aislados del plasma de receptore de trasplante pulmonar.

El artículo sobre hipertensión pulmonar se titula “Escalas de riesgo y predicción clínica en hipertensión arterial pulmonar, un análisis del freedom-EV” con de Raymond L. Benza, MD como primer firmante y Roberto Bernardo, MD, MS para realizar los comentarios. En este subanálisis se observa como las escalas de riesgo de los pacientes con hipertensión pulmonar mejoran tras la administración de treprostinil oral.

El cuarto y último artículo se titula “MicroRNA circulante y rechazo mediado por anticuerpos en el trasplante cardíaco”, con Palak Shah, MD, MS como primer firmante y comentado por Vanessa Blumer, MD. En este trabajo se identificó qué microRNA se asocian a rechazo celular y mediado por anticuerpos, permitiendo hacer el diagnóstico con una buena sensibilidad y especificidad.

On this episode of JHLT: The Podcast, the JHLT Digital Media Editors explore two studies from the June issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. Digital Media Editor Van-Khue Ton, MD, a transplant cardiologist from Massachusetts General Hospital, hosts this episode.

First, Dr. Ton and Digital Media Editor Marty Tam, MD, interview their first guests, first author Matthew Carey, MD, MBA, and senior author Justin Fried, MD, both of the Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City, on their study “Aortic Root Thrombosis in patients with HeartMate 3 left ventricular assist device support.”

This retrospective study of all patients receiving a HeartMate 3 LVAD at a single center between November 2014 and August 2020. The study evaluated findings related to patients with aortic root thrombosis, classified as having at least 1 echocardiogram or contrast-enhanced CT scan with thrombus. In the population of 197 patients, 19 had aortic root thrombus, which was ultimately associated with an increased risk of developing significant aortic regurgitation during the study period.

Drs. Carey and Fried discuss whether aortic valve opening is associated with increased risk of aortic root thrombus, how to balance the bleeding-thrombosis scale in patients, and how the study fits in the context of prior generations of LVAD.

Next, Dr. Ton joins and Digital Media Editor Erika Lease, MD, FCCP, to interview, Jacqueline DesJardin, MD, a Fellow in the department of medicine at the University of California San Francisco. Dr. DesJardin is first author on the study “Investigating the “sex paradox” in pulmonary arterial hypertension: Results from the Pulmonary Hypertension Association Registry (PHAR).”

PHAR is a multicenter US-based registry of patients with PAH, and this study analyzed 1,891 patients from the registry, 1,425 (75%) of whom were female. At baseline, compared to men, women had worse functional status and worse hemodynamics. Women were more likely to be on triple therapy or parenteral prostacyclin therapies at baseline. Interestingly, women had better survival than men, even after adjusting for numerous variables.

In the discussion, Dr. DesJardin explains what collider stratification bias is, and how it may illuminate the complex epidemiological system that creates this disparity. She shares the three potential causal models posed in the study, and considers how the study might be followed up.

Follow along at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, access your Journal membership at www.ishlt.org/jhlt.

Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

On this episode of JHLT: The Podcast, the Digital Media Editors discuss a new guidelines document from the ISHLT entitled “The 2024 ISHLT Guidelines for the Evaluation and Care of Cardiac Transplant Candidates.”

The lead co-authors of the document—Yael Peled, MD, and Anique Ducharme, MD, MSc—are on the podcast to discuss the document.

You’ll hear about:

• Challenges in drafting such an overarching document
• Highlights for clinicians
• Major changes in the document since the last version
• How changes in durable and temporary MCS affect use of the document

For the latest studies from JHLT, visit www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, access your Journal membership at www.ishlt.org/jhlt.

Join us again later this month for a study on age matching in lung transplantation.

Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

On this episode of JHLT: The Podcast, the Digital Media Editors invite lead author Jonathan E. Williams, MD, to discuss the paper, “Ex-Vivo Lung Perfusion: National Trends and Post-Transplant Outcomes.”

Dr. Williams is a general surgery resident at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, with work focusing on contemporary lung preservation strategies, perfusion techniques, and particularly, EVLP.

The episode explores:

• How the study explores the theory that EVLP use may increase transplant volumes
• Preserving data quality and other study limitations
• How to work in fields of study that sometimes yield as many questions as answers

For the latest studies from JHLT, visit www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, access your Journal membership at www.ishlt.org/jhlt.

Those on heart transplant teams should tune in again later this month for a study on sympathetic reinnervation in cardiac transplant recipients.

Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

Returning for a second study this month, the JHLT Digital Media Editors invite first author Charlotte Van Edom to discuss the paper, “Apixaban plasma levels in patients with HeartMate 3 support.”

As a cardiologist in training and a PhD candidate at the University Hospitals Leuven in Belgium, Van Edom’s work focuses on hemocompatibility and mechanical circulatory support, covering both short-term and long-term support.

The episode explores:

• The evolution of the use and understanding of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) during LVAD support, including the increased focus on Factor Xa inhibitors
• Encouraging findings from the study and what clinical practices might need to change if introducing apixaban
• Additional studies exploring DOACs in LVAD patients

For the latest studies from JHLT, visit www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, access your Journal membership at www.ishlt.org/jhlt.

Treat or research pulmonary vascular diseases? Check out the first April episode for a study on sotatercept in PAH patients.

Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

JHLT: The Podcast kicks off 2023 with a look back at 2022. Daniel R. Goldstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of JHLT, joins the JHLT Digital Media Editors for a recap of the past year of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation.

Studies include:

• Pérez-Carrillo, et al, “Diagnostic value of serum miR-144-3p for the detection of acute cellular rejection in heart transplant patients.” Feb 2022 JHLT
• Han, et al, “Impact of using higher-risk donor hearts for candidates with pre-transplant mechanical circulatory support.” Feb 2022 JHLT
• Jackson, et al, “Heart transplant outcomes in cardiac sarcoidosis.” Jan 2022 JHLT
• Ribeiro, et al, “Ex vivo treatment of cytomegalovirus in human donor lungs using a novel chemokine-based immunotoxin.” Mar 2022 JHLT
• Moshkelgosha, et al, “Interferon-stimulated and metallothionein expressing macrophages are associated with acute and chronic allograft dysfunction after lung transplantation.” Nov 2022 JHLT

Follow along at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

JHLT: The Podcast is back with an all-pediatric episode for November! Join Daniel R. Goldstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of JHLT, and the JHLT Digital Media Editors for TWO interviews with authors from the November issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation.

First, the editors speak with Dr. Richard Issitt, FCCP, from the perfusion department at Great Ormond Steret Hospital in London. Dr. Issitt is the lead author on a paper entitled “Intraoperative anti-A/B immunoadsorption is associated with significantly reduced blood product utilization with similar outcomes in pediatric ABO-incompatible heart transplantation.” Beginning at 2:05, Erika Lease, MD, interviews Dr. Issitt about the goals and findings of the study, plus potential clinical criteria and future studies.

Starting at 15:30, Van-Khue Ton, MD, PhD, and Marty Tam, MD, are in conversation with Joseph Rossano, MD, MS, FAAP, FACC, head of the division of cardiology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, about his group’s study from the November issue: “The influence of mechanical Circulatory support on post-transplant outcomes in pediatric patients: A multicenter study from the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) Registry.” Dr. Rossano discusses the discontinuation of HVAD, linkage of ECMO to poor outcomes in pediatric patients, the safety of VAD implantation, and application in CHD patients.

Follow along in the November issue at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

This episode of JHLT: The Podcast, but not the studies within, is sponsored by Paragonix.

Join Daniel R. Goldstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of JHLT, and the JHLT Digital Media Editors for two interviews with first and senior authors from two studies in the March issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. They’re also joined by JHLT Social Media Editor Aman Sidhu, MSc, MD, to help host the show.

First, the editors speak with both the first and last authors of a paper entitled “Post-transplantation outcomes of sensitized patients receiving durable mechanical circulatory support.”  Jong-Chan Youn, MD, PhD, is the first author on the paper, and Jon A. Kobashigawa, MD, former ISHLT president, is the senior author on the publication. Marty Tam, MD, and David Schibilsky, MD, interview Drs. Youn and Kobashigawa about the findings of this clinically impactful article.

Next, Erika Lease, MD, and JHLT Social Media Editor Aman Sidhu, MSc, MD, are in conversation with senior author Marcelo Cypel, MD, and first author Rafaela Pinto Ribeiro, MD, about their study from the March issue: “Ex vivo treatment of cytomegalovirus in human donor lungs using a novel chemokine-based immunotoxin.” Drs. Pinto Ribeiro and Cypel discuss their team’s work tackling CMV using this innovative approach to EVLP.

Follow along in the March issue at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

Returning for a second study this month, the JHLT Digital Media Editors conduct an internal discussion on the paper, “Safety and efficacy of riociguat in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and cardiometabolic comorbidities: Data from interventional clinical trials.”

The episode explores:

• The aging PAH population and the new comorbidities that must be considered in research
• How the study augments and expands on recent standards, like the 2022 ESC/ERS guidelines for pulmonary hypertension
• Limitations on the study and opportunities for future research

For the latest studies from JHLT, visit www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, access your Journal membership at www.ishlt.org/jhlt.

Those on lung transplant teams should check the previous episode for a study on how rewarming ischemia time affects lung transplant outcomes.

Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

On this BONUS episode of JHLT: The Podcast, JHLT Editor-in-Chief Daniel R. Goldstein, MD, returns for an additional brief conversation with Saima Aslam, MD, MS, chair of the ISHLT COVID-19 Task Force. Dr. Aslam provides some key updates about vaccination for SARS-CoV-2 in organ transplant recipients, including updated efficacy information, recommendations about booster doses, and breakthrough infections.

Learn more about the work of the ISHLT COVID-19 Task Force, and get the latest publications and recommendations documents, at ishlt.org/covid-19-information. Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

Join Daniel R. Goldstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of JHLT, and the JHLT Digital Media Editors for two interviews with groups of authors from the June issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. You’ll hear more about each of these teams as well as more about the work they’re publishing this month.

First, the editors speak with senior author Evgenij V. Potapov, MD (left) and first author Jaime-Jürgen Eulert-Grehn, MD (right), both of the German Heart Center, about their paper entitled “Defibrillator generator replacements in patients with left ventricular assist device support: The risks of hematoma and infection.”

Van-Khue Ton, MD, and David Schibilsky, MD, interview Drs. Potapov and Eulert-Grehn about balancing their work as surgeon-scientists, their training and background, and some fascinating upcoming research questions, including a career switch for Dr. Eulert-Grehn!

They go on to explore the study, including the reasons for higher infections in the LVAD group, risk profiles, and study design.

Next, Erika Lease, MD, and Dr. Goldstein join first author Toshihiro Okamoto, MD, PhD (left) and senior author Kenneth McCurry, MD (right), on their study: “Clinical significance of donor lung weight at procurement and during ex vivo lung perfusion.”

Drs. Okamoto and McCurry share how their team collaborates to balance surgical, administrative, and research responsibilities, and Dr. Okamoto discusses how training across multiple countries bolstered his skills.

They go on to discuss the study, which aimed to determine the correlation between donor lung weight and post-transplant outcomes, while also investigating the significance of donor lung weight at the end of EVLP as a marker for suitability.

Follow along in the June issue at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

Welcome to 2024! The JHLT Digital Media Editors kick off the new year with a look back at the best of the best from 2023 – specifically, a few of the guidelines and consensus statements from the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation that appeared in The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation this past year.

Digital Media Editor David Schibilsky, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon from Freiburg, Germany, hosts this episode.

First, Digital Media Editor Marty Tam, MD, reviews the updated Heart Transplantation guidelines, published in JHLT at the start of 2023. What’s changed in the decade plus since the 2010 guidelines were published? For starters, there’s more than 200 new or updated recommendations in this document, and Dr. Tam walks you through some of the highlights.

Next, Digital Media Editor Erika Lease, MD, shares the new reproductive health guidelines for transplant patients—something that’s relevant to just about everyone working in the cardiothoracic transplantation space. Dr. Lease steps through this much-needed consensus statement and some of its key takeaways.

Finally, Dr. Schibilsky joins his fellow Digital Media Editor Van-Khue Ton, MD, for a discussion about the MCS guidelines, another 10 year update on a massive—and massively important—document. Drs. Schibilsky and Ton share their favorite parts of the guideline, and do a little imagining about what might be present in the next major update for MCS.

Follow along at www.jhltonline.org/current, or check out all of the ISHLT’s Standards and Guidelines documents at https://ishlt.org/publications-resources/professional-resources/standards-guidelines.

Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

This month, JHLT: The Podcast reissues our September 2023 tribute to former Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Daniel R. Goldstein. Dr. Goldstein stepped down from his role for health reasons in July 2023; he had been diagnosed with an advanced salivary gland malignancy and felt he would be unable to continue serving JHLT and the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) to his characteristically demanding standard.

Sadly, Dr. Goldstein died on 21 May, 2024, at the age of 56, leaving behind his wife, 2 children, an extended family, and a larger universe of colleagues, collaborators, and mentees who greatly benefited from his equanimity, wisdom, and commitment to his passions.

The tribute, recorded in August 2023, features Michelle Kittleson, MD, PhD, then-Interim Editor-in-Chief of JHLT; Andrew Gelman, PhD, Deputy Editor at JHLT; Andrew Fisher, FRCP, PhD, past president of ISHLT and Past Chair of the Publications Oversight Committee; Daniel Tyrrell, PhD, a former post-doc of Dr. Goldstein’s; and Judy Chen, PhD, a former immunology PhD student in Dr. Goldstein’s lab.

Two funds were created to allow friends and colleagues to memorialize Dr. Goldstein: the Michigan Biology of Cardiovascular Aging Leadership Development Fund at the Frankel Cardiovascular Center (https://giving.umich.edu/give/393178) and the Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Foundation (https://accrf.org).

The JHLT has also re-published Dr. Goldstein’s farewell message in the September 2024 issue of the Journal. You can read it here: https://www.jhltonline.org/article/S1053-2498(24)01741-8/fulltext

Follow along at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

For this month’s episode, JHLT The Podcast explores two impactful studies from the October issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. The episode is hosted by Daniel R. Goldstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of JHLT, who is joined by the JHLT Digital Media Editors. Listen now to hear study authors discuss their work, their studies, and next steps for their research.

First, the editors speak with first author Michael Harhay, PhD (pictured left) and senior author Edward Cantu, MD (pictured right), about their study from the University of Pennsylvania entitled “Epidemiology, risk factors and outcomes of lung retransplantation: an analysis of the ISHLT Transplant Registry.” Dr. Goldstein and Erika Lease, MD, interview Drs. Harhay and Cantu about the study.

The objective of the study was to leverage the ISHLT Thoracic Transplant registry using an updated cohort of patients that underwent lung retransplantation to obtain an updated summary of the epidemiology of lung retransplantation; to examine the importance of the time between primary transplantation and retransplantation on outcomes after retransplantation; and to identify risk factors of mortality following lung retransplantation.

Next, we hear from Anne Dipchand, MD (pictured), Professor of Pediatrics and Pediatric Cardiologist at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, who is senior author on the study, “Eplet matching in pediatric heart transplantation: The SickKids experience.” Dr. Goldstein and David Schibilsky, MD, discuss the study with Dr. Dipchand.

This single-center retrospective study measured allograft survival in 77 patients while performing HLA typing, antigen mismatch, and eplet mismatch analysis, with the goal of comparing the molecular level HLA matching with antigen level HL matching in post-heart transplant outcomes in children.

Follow along in the October issue at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

It’s another COVID-19 special on this month’s JHLT: The Podcast, which features two articles on COVID-19 and thoracic organ transplantation from the April issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation.

First, the editors explore a study entitled “Heart transplantation for COVID-19 myopathy in the United States,” which comes from Gill and colleagues at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

The editors welcome first author George Gill, MD, to share what brought him from the United Kingdom to the States, and to talk about the findings of the study. The Digital Media Editors want to know how COVID-19 myocarditis impacts immune response in transplantation, how Dr. Gill manages different etiologies of cardiomyopathy, and some of the limitations of the study.

Next, the editors welcome senior author Nicolaus Schwerk, MD, from Hannover Medical School in Germany to discuss the paper, “COVID-19 in pediatric lung transplant recipients: Clinical Course and outcome.”

Dr. Schwerk is an expert in rare diffuse parenchymal lung diseases and end stage lung diseases, as well as congenital thoracic malformations in children, and performs lung transplantation. This single-center study investigated the impact of SARS-COV-2 infection on pediatric lung transplant recipients between March 2020 and June 2022 at Hannover Medical Center. The key finding of the study was that the COVID-19-positive pediatric lung transplant recipients did remarkably well.

The digital media editors dig in with Dr. Schwerk on the pace of COVID-19 infections in Europe, why antivirals are used differently in pediatric patients, and why pediatric patients typically experience a more mild course of disease.

Follow along at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

In this special issue of JHLT: The Podcast, the JHLT Digital Media Editors explore just one study—and devote the second half of the episode as a tribute to recently retired Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Daniel R. Goldstein. Digital Media Editor Van-Khue Ton, MD, heart failure and transplant cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, hosts this episode.

First, hear from senior author William F. Parker, MD, MS, PhD, on his team’s study “Association of high-priority exceptions with waitlist mortality among heart transplant candidates.” Dr. Parker is a pulmonary and critical care physician, health services researcher, and clinical medical ethicist, and he runs a R01 funded lab focusing on the allocation of scarce healthcare resources.

In the study, Dr. Parker and colleagues set out to examine the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) to compare medical urgency of heart transplant patients listed with exception vs. those listed according to standard guidelines. The study’s main finding: after controlling for status as a time-varying covariate, candidates with an exception had a 45% lower hazard of waitlist mortality compared with standard criteria candidates. The Digital Media Editors want to know all the details and talk with Dr. Parker about the wait-list mortality and post-transplant survival of status 1, 2, 3, and 4 candidates, plus what next steps could be in ensuring a fair allocation system.

The episode’s special tribute to Dr. Daniel R. Goldstein features Michelle Kittleson, MD, PhD, Interim Editor-in-Chief of JHLT; Andrew Gelman, PhD, Deputy Editor at JHLT; Andrew Fisher, FRCP, PhD, past president of ISHLT and Chair of the Publications Oversight Committee; Daniel Tyrrell, PhD, a former post-doc of Dr. Goldstein’s; and Judy Chen, PhD, a former immunology PhD student in Dr. Goldstein’s lab.

These heartfelt tributes to Dr. Goldstein are worth a listen—and we thank Dr. Goldstein for his vision and leadership at the Journal.

Follow along at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

It’s October on JHLT: The Podcast! Join Daniel R. Goldstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of JHLT, for a discussion with the JHLT Digital Media Editors about two studies in the October issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation.

First, the editors have the pleasure of interviewing Stephen Hoole, MA, BM, BCh, DM, FRCP, FESC, FACC, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at Royal Papworth Hospital and Honorary Senior Visiting Fellow at the University of Cambridge. Dr. Hoole is a the senior author on a paper entitled “Serial right heart catheter assessment between balloon pulmonary angioplasty sessions identify procedural factors that influence response to treatment.” Beginning at 1:34, Erika Lease, MD, and Marty Tam, MD, interview Dr. Hoole about the findings and applications of the paper and how it can benefit PH patients.

Starting at 13:00, Dr. Goldstein and David Schibilsky, MD, are in conversation about a second study from the October issue: “Reconditioning of circulatory death hearts by ex vivo machine perfusion with a novel HTK-N preservation solution,” written by Saemann and colleagues in Heidelberg, Germany.

Follow along in the October issue at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

This episode of JHLT: The Podcast, but not the studies within, is sponsored by Paragonix.

JHLT: The Podcast is back for its third round table talks. Daniel R. Goldstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, leads a discussion with the JHLT Digital Media Editors focusing on topics from the March issue of JHLT.

Starting at 2:05, David Schibilsky, MD, and Van-Khue Ton, MD, PhD, discuss an MCS paper from Dr. McGiffin and colleagues in Melbourne, Australia, titled “The results of a single-center experience with HeartMate 3 in a biventricular configuration.”

Starting at 14:00, Erika Lease, MD, and Marty Tam, MD, discuss a study from Benke and colleagues in Budapest, Hungary, called “Methane supplementation improves graft function in experimental heart transplantation.”

Follow along in the March issue at www.jhltonline.org/current. Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.com.

JHLT: The Podcast is back with round table talks for the May 2021 issue of the Journal of Heart Transplantation. Daniel R. Goldstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of JHLT, leads a discussion with the JHLT Digital Media Editors.

Starting at 1:36, Van-Khue Ton, MD, PhD, and Martin Tam, MD, discuss an paper from Dr. Englung and colleagues in Oslo, Norway, titled “Intravenous iron supplement for iron deficiency in cardiac transplant recipients (IronIC): A randomized clinical trial.”

Starting at 9:04, Erika Lease, MD, and David Schibilsky, MD, discuss a study from Fessler et al in Paris, France, called “Operating room extubation: A predictive factor for 1-year survival after double-lung transplantation.”

Follow along in the May issue at www.jhltonline.org/current. Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.com.

This episode of JHLT: The Podcast, but not the studies within, is sponsored by Paragonix. 

Welcome to the July 2021 episode of JHLT: The Podcast! Daniel R. Goldstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of JHLT, leads a discussion with the JHLT Digital Media Editors about two studies in the July issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation.

Starting at 1:45, Dr. Goldstein and Erika Lease, MD, discuss a paper from Sage, et al, at the University of Toronto, Canada, titled “Prediction of donor related lung injury in clinical lung transplantation using a validated ex vivo lung perfusion inflammation score.”

Starting at 10:45, Van-Khue Ton, MD, PhD, and Marty Tam, MD, discuss a study from Rafei and colleagues from Minnesota and Houston,  USA, called “Association between digoxin use and gastrointestinal bleeding in contemporary continuous flow left ventricular assist device support.”

Follow along in the July issue at www.jhltonline.org/current. Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

This episode of JHLT: The Podcast, but not the studies within, is sponsored by Paragonix.

This month—two studies on COVID-19! Daniel R. Goldstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of JHLT, is taking a short break, so the episode is hosted by Digital Media Editor Erika Lease, MD. Both COVID-19 studies come from the September issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, and in the episode, you’ll learn more about each study and their authors.

First, the editors speak with Yael Peled, MD, Medical Director of the Heart Transplant Service at the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel. She’s the first author on a paper entitled “Fourth BNT162b2 vaccination neutralization of omicron infection after heart transplantation.” Dr. Lease and Marty Tam, MD, interview Dr. Peled about the study, which examples how IgG and neutralizing antibodies responded to a fourth BNT162b2 dose in heart transplant recipients against the omicron and delta variants versus the wild-type virus.

Next, we hear from C.T. Gan, MD, PhD, Consultant in Respiratory Medicine and Lung Transplantation at University Medical Center Groningen, on his study, “The effect of COVID-19 on transplant function and development of CLAD in lung transplant patients: a multicenter experience.” Dr. Lease and Van-Khue Ton, MD, discuss the study with Dr. Gan, including questions on management strategies for COVID-19 in lung transplant patients, lung function improvements after COVID-19 recovery, and potential follow up studies.

Follow along in the September issue at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

This episode of JHLT: The Podcast, but not the studies within, is sponsored by Bayer Pharmaceuticals.

On this episode of JHLT: The Podcast, the Digital Media Editors have three expert guests to discuss their paper, “Pragmatic approach to temporary mechanical circulatory support in acute right ventricular failure.”

You’ll hear from first author Anthony Carnicelli, MD, from the Medical University of South Carolina; Alexander Bernhardt, MD, from the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf; and senior author Manreet Kanwar, MD, of the Cardiovascular Institute at Allegheny Health Network.

The episode explores:

• Parameters that influence deciding when to escalate RV support
• Determining which device is right for each patient
• Evaluating a patient for the correct anticoagulants
• Device-related complications and solutions
• What's next in research for tMCS and acute RV failure

For the latest studies from JHLT, visit www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, access your Journal membership at www.ishlt.org/jhlt.

Join us again later this month for another MCS study, exploring aortic insufficiency in patients with durable LVADs.

Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

This month, Daniel R. Goldstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of JHLT, and the JHLT Digital Media Editors are discussing two impactful studies—in pediatric heart transplantation and MCS—from the August issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. You’ll hear more about each of these studies, as well as the authors themselves.

First, the editors speak with Craig Laurence, MD (pictured), a consultant in Pediatric Cardiology and Heart Failure & Transplantation at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, UK. He’s the first author on a paper entitled “Pediatric heart transplantation following donation after circulatory death, distant procurement, and ex-situ perfusion.” Dr. Goldstein, David Schibilsky, MD, and Erika Lease, MD, interview Dr. Laurence about the study, which compares how patients fare after transplantation with DBD vs DCD hearts. They also discuss his multi-national and multi-faceted background, including training and practicing in four different countries, as well as in clinical care, research, and training the next generation.

Next, we hear from Ravi Karra, MD, Associate Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Pathology at Duke University, senior author of the study, “Recovery of left ventricular function is associated with improved outcomes in LVAD recipients.” Van-Khue Ton, MD, and Marty Tam, MD, discuss the study with Dr. Karra, including questions on the mechanisms by which LVEF may impact improved outcomes, optimal doses of GDMT, and how gender influences LV recovery. They also discuss how Dr. Karra’s lab balances translational research and epidemiological research, and how Dr. Karra splits his time between all his different responsibilities.

Follow along in the August issue at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

This episode of JHLT: The Podcast, but not the studies within, is sponsored by Bayer Pharmaceuticals.

Join Daniel R. Goldstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of JHLT, and the JHLT Digital Media Editors for two interviews with authors from the May issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. You’ll hear about the scientific journey of each of these authors as well as more about the work they’re publishing this month.

First, the editors speak with John Greenland, MD, PhD (pictured), from the University of California San Francisco, who is the first author of a paper entitled “Lung transplant recipients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis have impaired alloreactive immune responses.” Erika Lease, MD, interviews Dr. Greenland about his PhD journey, his dedication to research, and how he keeps clinical work from outcompeting his research tasks. He even shares some pearls of advice for aspiring physician-scientists before exploring his study, which investigates the role of telomere dysfunction on T-cell proliferation to donor antigens in patients who undergo lung transplantation for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IDF).

Next, David Schibilsky, MD, and Marty Tam, MD, are in conversation with author Tamta Tkhilaishvili, MD, PhD (pictured), from the University of Rostock, on her study: “Bacteriophage therapy as a treatment option for complex cardiovascular implant infection: The German Heart Center Berlin experience.” Dr. Tkhilaishvili shares her journey through an interdisciplinary PhD, but also what it’s been like to earn a PhD in Germany without knowing the German language. It’s a fascinating international and multidisciplinary story! She also shares her work on treating implanted cardiovascular device infections using bacteriophage therapy, an innovative new management strategy.

Follow along in the May issue at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

This episode of JHLT: The Podcast, but not the studies within, is sponsored by Bayer Pharmaceuticals.

In the September 2021 episode of JHLT: The Podcast, Daniel R. Goldstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of JHLT, leads a discussion with the JHLT Digital Media Editors about two studies in the September issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation.

Starting at 1:26, David Schibilsky, MD, Marty Tam, MD, and Van-Khue Ton, MD, PhD, discuss a paper from Benck and colleagues at Cedars-Sinai entitled “Recipient and surgical factors trigger severe primary graft dysfunction after heart transplant.”

Starting at 12:27, Dr. Goldstein and Erika Lease, MD, discuss a study from Urso et al from Columbia University, called “Aspiration of conjugated bile acids predicts adverse lung transplant outcomes and correlates with airway lipid and cytokine dysregulation.”

Follow along in the August issue at www.jhltonline.org/current, and learn more about the work of the ISHLT COVID-19 Task Force at ishlt.org/covid-19-information. Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

This episode of JHLT: The Podcast, but not the studies within, is sponsored by Medtronic.

On this episode of JHLT: The Podcast, the JHLT Digital Media Editors explore two studies from the May issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. Digital Media Editor David Schibilsky, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon from Freiburg, Germany, hosts this episode.

First, Dr. Schibilsky and Digital Media Editor Erika Lease, MD, interview their first guest, Helen A. Hannan, the podcast’s first-ever undergraduate pre-medical guest, from the University of Michigan. Helen was the lead author on the study “Racial and Gender Disparities in Transplantation of Hepatitis C+ Hearts and Lungs.” The study noted that prior research in utilization of kidneys from donors with Hepatitis C had shown disparities due to gender and education—and wanted to see if this was the case in heart and lung donors as well.

Drs. Schibilsky and Lease chat with Helen about the findings of the study, including some of the interesting differences shown between heart and lung recipients, and the ramifications for better patient discussions at the clinical level.

Next, Dr. Schibilsky and Digital Media Editor Marty Tam, MD, interview their next guest, Lauren Truby, MD, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Dr. Truby is the podcast’s first return guest, having appeared on the show near the end of 2021. This time, she’s featured as first author on the study “Metabolomic profiling during ex situ normothermic perfusion before heart transplantation defines patterns of substrate utilization and correlates with markers of allograft injury.” The paper explores cardiac metabolism of donor hearts during recovery using an ex situ normothermic perfusion system (NRP).

Dr. Truby provides an in depth look at the project’s logistics—which she calls a “labor of love”—its multi-point findings, and what’s next in this line of research.

Follow along at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, access your Journal membership at www.ishlt.org/jhlt.

Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

On the inaugural episode of JHLT: The Podcast, join Daniel R. Goldstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, in a round table discussion with the JHLT Digital Media Editors. This companion piece to the January issue of JHLT will give quick insights into some of the most compelling and fascinating studies in transplantation and advanced heart and lung failure from the Journal.

In this episode, Erika Lease, MD, discusses donor ventilation parameters and lung transplantation; while Marty Tam, MD, and Van-Khue Ton, MD, PhD, discuss thrombosis events and LVADs. Follow along in the January issue at www.jhltonline.org/current.

Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.com.

This month’s JHLT: The Podcast is hosted by Digital Media Editor David Schibilsky, MD, who leads a discussion of two studies from the March issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation—and the first authors who presented them.

First, the editors explore a study entitled “Angiopoietin 2 and hsCRP are associated with pulmonary hemodynamics and long-term mortality respectively in CTEPH—Results from a prospective discovery and validation biomarker study,” which comes from Hadinnapola and colleagues at the Papworth group in Cambridge, UK.

The editors welcome Charaka Hadinnapola, MA, MB, BChir, first author on the CTEPH study, to share the rationale in performing the research, its main findings, the changing understanding of the pathobiology of pulmonary arterial hypertension, and how Ang2 and hsCRP fit into the bigger cytokine picture in CTEPD and CTEPH patients.

Next, the editors welcome author J.K. Peel, MD, MSc, from the University of Toronto to discuss the paper her first authored, “Determining the impact of ex-vivo lung perfusion on hospital costs for lung transplantation: a retrospective cohort study.”

This retrospective, before-after, propensity-score weighted cohort study explores how EVLP affects hospital costs and the associated transplant procedures, intending to evaluate whether the benefits of EVLP offset its additional cost. Dr. Peel shares what changes occurred at his center during the study period, how the results compare to other published evidence on EVLP costs, and whether the results are transferable to smaller centers.

Follow along at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

It’s pulmonary hypertension month on JHLT: The Podcast! The JHLT Digital Media Editors explore two PVD-related manuscripts from the November issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. Digital Media Editor Marty Tam, MD, assistant professor in the division of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Michigan, hosts this episode.

First, hear from first author Zvonimir Rako, MD, on his team’s study “Clinical and functional relevance of right ventricular contraction patterns in pulmonary hypertension.”

The right ventricle (RV) has a complex contraction pattern. For patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH), right ventricular to pulmonary artery (RV-PA) coupling is important when considering how the RV responds to increases in afterload. Uncoupling occurs with progressive disease and the degree of uncoupling can be derived from pressure–volume loop analysis as the ratio between end-systolic and arterial elastance (Ees/Ea).

In this exploratory analysis of the prospective EXERTION study, the authors determined the relationship between RV contraction patterns and RV-PA coupling in patients with PH. They also correlated RV contraction patterns to hemodynamic risk profiles. For details on what the study found about how PH programs can use the results in their practice, listen to the discussion in the episode.

Next, the editors explored the study “Impact of sex on outcome after pulmonary endarterectomy for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.” The podcast hosted first author Justin C.Y. Chan, MD, MPhil and senior author Marc de Perrot,  MD, MSc, FRCSC.

The impact of sex on long-term outcomes after pulmonary endarterectomy for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) has remained unclear. The authors of this study sought to evaluate the early and long-term outcomes after pulmonary endarterectomy to see if sex had an impact on the risk of residual pulmonary hypertension and need for targeted PH medical therapy. 

For details on what this retrospective single-center study found, including the mechanics of sex differences and the potential changes to clinical approach, check out the episode.

Follow along at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

On this episode of JHLT: The Podcast, the Digital Media Editors invite lead author Chung-Wai Chow, MD, PhD, FRCPC, to discuss the paper, “Pollution exposure in the first 3 months post transplant is associated with lower baseline FEV1 and higher CLAD risk.”

Dr. Chow is a transplant pulmonologist and clinician scientist at the University of Toronto, with work focusing on investigating air pollution’s impact on chronic lung diseases and developing improved methods to assess lung function.

The episode explores:

• Measurement methods for home and personal air pollution exposures
• Specific pollutants like black carbon and their effects on patients after lung transplant
• Practical advice for mitigating these effects

For the latest studies from JHLT, visit www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, access your Journal membership at www.ishlt.org/jhlt.

Those on heart transplant teams should tune in again later this month for a Scandinavian study that performs long-term follow ups with patients on the nephrotoxic effects of CNIs.

Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

This month on JHLT The Podcast, JHLT Digital Media Editor Marty Tam, MD, takes over hosting duties to present two papers from the December issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. Listen now to hear study authors discuss their work, their studies, and next steps for their research.

First, we welcome first author Jorge V. López-Ibor, MD, and senior author Javier Segovia-Cubero, MD, PhD, about their team’s study from Hospital Universitario Puerto de Hierro Majadahonda entitled “Role of TGF-β1 +869T>C polymorphism in renal dysfunction one year after heart transplantation.” Drs. López-Ibor and Segovia-Cubero share some background on their work and their areas of research before diving into the study.

The study analyzed 355 adult patients for renal dysfunction a year post-heart transplant and suggested a protective role for the TGF- β1 + 869CC genotypes in the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in heart transplant patients on calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs).

Next, Tsuyoshi Takahashi, MD, PhD, from Washington University, shares details on the study “A comparison of outcomes after lung transplantation between European and North American centers.” Dr. Takahashi begins by discussing his global journey in thoracic surgery, including some of the differences between being a surgeon in the United States and Japan.

The study used the ISHLT Thoracic Organ Registry to complete a retrospective, comparative cohort analysis of adult patients undergoing deceased donor lung transplant in North America and Europe between January 2006 and December 2016. It compared overall survival between North American and European transplant centers in a propensity score matched analysis, suggesting a higher 5-year survival for European centers. Dr. Takahashi answers questions about the many factors contributing to these variances.

Follow along in the December issue at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

This episode of JHLT: The Podcast, but not the studies within, is sponsored by Enzyvant.

Happy new year from JHLT: The Podcast! On this episode, the Digital Media Editors are joined by ISHLT Director of Marketing + Communications Jess Burke, CAE, to share a little bit about themselves and their backgrounds.

Hear about how each of the JHLT Digital Media Editors got involved in transplantation and a little about each of their research and personal interests.

For the latest studies from JHLT, visit www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, access your Journal membership at www.ishlt.org/jhlt.

Don’t already get the Journal? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

On this episode of JHLT: The Podcast, the JHLT Digital Media Editors explore two studies from the February issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. Digital Media Editor Van-Khue Ton, MD, a transplant cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, hosts this episode.

First, Dr. Ton and Digital Media Editor Erika Lease, MD interview their first guest, David Jenkins, FRCS(Cth), of the Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, UK. Dr. Jenkins was senior author on the study “Perioperative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support for pulmonary endarterectomy: A 17-year experience from the UK national cohort.” In the conversation, Dr. Jenkins shares the major determinants of mortality in this patient population, differences between survivors and non-survivors, and the CTEPH classification systems involved.

Next, Dr. Ton is joined by Digital Media Editor Marty Tam, MD, to interview their next guest, Kevin Chen, a 4^th year general surgery resident at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Dr. Chen was a first author on the study “Heart transplantation in patients from socioeconomically distressed communities.” Drs. Ton and Tam lead a lively discussion about this important paper, including the methodology behind the indices used to categorize patients, and the million-dollar question: why did patients from distressed communities fare more poorly?

Follow along at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, access your Journal membership at www.ishlt.org/jhlt.

Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

Welcome back to JHLT: The Podcast! Daniel R. Goldstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, holds a round table discussion with the JHLT Digital Media Editors focusing on topics from the February issue of JHLT.

In this episode, Erika Lease, MD, discusses a study from Marklin and colleagues in St. Louis, MO USA that explores ventilation in the prone position and how it impacts transplantation from lung donors with hypoxemia and atelectasis.

David Schibilsky, MD; Marty Tam, MD; and Van-Khue Ton, MD, PhD, discuss a study led by Gonzalez and colleagues from Michigan, Arizona, California, and Germany. The study explores survival after heart transplantation in patients bridged with ECMO in the new allocation system.

Follow along in the February issue at www.jhltonline.org/current. Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.com.

On the second December episode of JHLT: The Podcast, the Digital Media Editors explore another paper from the December issue of JHLT, entitled “Long-term follow-up of the randomized, prospective Scandinavian heart transplant everolimus de novo study with early calcineurin inhibitors avoidance (SCHEDULE) trial.”

First author Entela Bollano, MD, PhD, and senior author Niklas Bergh, MD, PhD, both from the Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Sweden, join the podcast to discuss their work.

You’ll hear about:

• Past outcomes of the SCHEDULE trial, including reduced CAV in patients on everolimus over patients on CNIs
• How this study filled the need for long-term follow up on randomized studies on immunosuppression
• Limitations of the study, and what additional follow up might teach us

For the latest studies from JHLT, visit www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, access your Journal membership at www.ishlt.org/jhlt.

Lung clinicians: if you haven’t yet tuned in for the first episode from this month, check it out! The paper discusses the effects of pollution post lung transplantation.

Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

JHLT: The Podcast kicks off 2022 with a look back at 2021! Daniel R. Goldstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of JHLT, joins the JHLT Digital Media Editors for a recap of the past year of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation.

Studies include:

• Macdonald, et al, “The impact of frailty on mortality after heart transplantation,” Feb 2021 JHLT
• Glinton, et al, “Bone marrow-derived AXL tyrosine kinase promotes mitogenic crosstalk and cardiac allograft vasculopathy,” June 2021 JHLT
• Jang, et al, “Donor-derived cell-free DNA accurately detects acute rejection in lung transplant patients, a multicenter cohort study,” Aug 2021 JHLT
• Scheuer, et al, “Heart transplantation following donation after circulatory death: Expanding the donor pool,” Sep 2021 JHLT

Follow along at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

On this episode of JHLT: The Podcast, the Digital Media Editors discuss a paper from the October issue of JHLT, entitled “Donor to recipient age matching in lung transplantation: A European experience.” Senior author Andrew Fisher, FRCP, PhD joins the podcast to discuss the paper.

You’ll hear about:

• European practices in lung transplantation and the donor population
• Main findings and takeaways
• How age disparities in donor matching affect outcomes
• Extended criteria for older donors

For the latest studies from JHLT, visit www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, access your Journal membership at www.ishlt.org/jhlt.

If you haven’t yet tuned in for the first October episode of the podcast, scroll back in the episode history for the latest ISHLT guideline on the evaluation and care of cardiac transplant candidates.

Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

The JHLT Digital Media Editors explore two manuscripts from the July issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation—one on heart transplantation and one on lung transplantation. Digital Media Editor Marty C. Tam, MD, Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan, hosts this episode.

First, hear from co-first author Kevin Chen, MD, on his team’s study “Donation after circulatory death heart procurement strategy impacts utilization and outcomes of concurrently procured abdominal organs,” which comes from Cedars-Sinai. The study looks into the results of DCD organ donation depending on the technique used at procurement, mainly comparing ex-situ normothermic organ perfusion with thoracoabdominal normothermic regional perfusion (TA-NRP).

Digital Media Editors David Schibilsky, MD, and Van-Khue Ton, MD, have questions on the relationship between DCD liver and kidney procurement and heart procurement strategies, why TA-NRP livers and kidneys might differ, and the lower incidence of delayed graft function in DCD kidney transplants with TA-NRP. Dr. Chen also shares some thoughts about how this work might be incorporated into clinical practice.

Next, the editors welcome first author Jonathan P. Singer, MD, MS, from UCSF, to discuss the paper “Development of the Lung Transplant Frailty Scale (LT-FS).” Based on previous work, Dr. Singer and his colleagues set out to develop a novel frailty scale specifically for lung transplant candidates with improved performance characteristics over other frailty scales. The authors developed three lung transplant frailty measures and compared the construct and predictive validity to the existing short physical performance battery (SPPB) and the fried frailty phenotype (FFP). Their LT-FS models exhibited superior construct and predictive validity to these measures—and the addition of muscle mass and biomarkers further improved the model’s performance.

Digital Media Editor Erika Lease, MD, digs in with Dr. Singer on the main findings of the study. What’s unique about patients with advanced lung disease that makes them need a more specific frailty scale? How does the LT-FS outshine prior models? And what are the barriers to implementing a new model like this one in a transplant center?

Follow along at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

Welcome to the August 2021 episode of JHLT: The Podcast. In this special episode, Daniel R. Goldstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of JHLT, and the JHLT Digital Media Editors, interview ISHLT COVID-19 Task Force Chair Saima Aslam, MD, MS, about the latest, critical information on SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations in immunosuppressed thoracic organ transplant recipients.

The August issue of JHLT contains two key studies exploring COVID-19 vaccinations—one from Peled et al examining the safety and efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine in heart transplant recipients, and another from Havlin et al exploring lung transplantation.

In addition to summarizing and exploring these two papers, Dr. Aslam and the editors discuss additional topics related to COVID-19 vaccination, such as the difference in immune response between natural infection and vaccine, whether antibody testing is useful, and vaccine efficacy.

Follow along in the August issue at www.jhltonline.org/current, and learn more about the work of the ISHLT COVID-19 Task Force at ishlt.org/covid-19-information. Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

This episode of JHLT: The Podcast—but not the studies within—is sponsored by CareDx.

JHLT: The Podcast returns with a year-end recap of 2024. Each Digital Media Editor shares one of their favorite studies from JHLT in 2024 for a quick recap of last year’s excellent science in advanced heart and lung disease.

Studies featured:

·         Cardiac magnetic resonance assessment of acute rejection and cardiac allograft vasculopathy in pediatric heart transplant
Kikano, Sandra et al. JHLT May 2024 5(43):745-754

·         A modular simulation framework for organ allocation
Rose, Johnie et al. JHLT Aug 2024 8(43):1326-1335.

·         HeartMate 3 Snoopy: Noninvasive cardiovascular diagnosis of patients with fully magnetically levitated blood pumps during echocardiographic speed ramp tests and Valsalva maneuvers
Schlöglhofer, Thomas et al. JHLT Feb 2024 2(43):251-260.

·         Factors associated with acute limb ischemia in cardiogenic shock and downstream clinical outcomes: Insights from the Cardiogenic Shock Working Group
Kochar, Ajar et al. JHLT Nov 2024 11(43):1846-1856.

For the latest studies from JHLT, visit www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, access your Journal membership at www.ishlt.org/jhlt.

Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

On this episode of JHLT: The Podcast, the JHLT Digital Media Editors explore two studies from the April issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. Digital Media Editor Erika Lease, MD, a transplant pulmonologist at the University of Washington in Seattle, hosts this episode.

First, Dr. Lease and Digital Media Editor Van-Khue Ton, MD interview their first guests, Paul J. Scheel III, MD and Steven Hsu, MD, both of Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Scheel was first author and Dr. Hsu was senior author on the study “Occult right ventricular dysfunction and right ventricular-vascular uncoupling in left ventricular assist device recipients.” The main finding of the study is that LVAD recipients have depressed intrinsic RV contractility and reduced RV compensation.

Drs. Scheel and Hsu give an overview of RV pressure-volume loops and their measurements, and discuss the impact of LVAD on intrinsic RV contractility, contractile reserve, and vascular coupling. If you want to know how these findings are important to clinical care, you’ll need to listen to the episode!

Next, Dr. Lease and Digital Media Editor David Schibilsky, MD, interview their next guest, Joshua Diamond, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Diamond was first author on the study “Development and validation of primary graft dysfunction predictive algorithm for lung transplant candidates.” The authors of the study set out to develop a clinically useful and generalizable PGD prediction model to aid in clinical decision making.

Dr. Diamond discusses the factors they considered in building the model, the model’s strengths over other approaches, and its limitations. Tune in to learn more!

Follow along at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, access your Journal membership at www.ishlt.org/jhlt.

Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

On May’s JHLT: The Podcast, we feature two manuscripts from the May issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation.

First, the editors explore a study entitled “Donor hyperoxia is a novel risk factor for severe cardiac primary graft dysfyunction,” which comes from Kransdorf and colleagues at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

The editors welcome first author Evan Kransdorf, MD, PhD, to share how he transitioned from oncology to heart failure and transplantation, and to talk about the findings of the study. The Digital Media Editors want to know how machine learning came to be a part of the study, what other donor-specific predictors might contribute to severe PGD, and whether DCD and DBD donors had different outcomes.

Next, the editors welcome first author Danny Ramzy, MD, PhD, from the UTHealth McGovern School of Medicine in Houston to discuss the paper, “Improved clinical outcomes associated with the Impella 5.5 compared to the Impella 5.0 in contemporary cardiogenic shock and heart failure patients.”

The digital media editors dig in with Dr. Ramzy on why Impella 5.5 has better outcomes and if this outcome holds in multivariable models, why the survival outcomes were so much higher than published survivals for patients with cardiogenic shock, and what follow up studies might get the answers they’re looking for.

Follow along at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

Returning for a second study this month, the JHLT Digital Media Editors invite lead author Oliver J.F. Weiner, to discuss the paper, “Sympathetic reinnervation in cardiac transplant recipients: Prevalence, time course, and association with long-term survival.”

Dr. Weiner is currently an out of training registrar at Monash Health in Melbourne, Australia, but will soon return to his home of the UK to begin internal medicine training with the intention becoming a cardiologist. He is especially interested in advanced heart failure and electrophysiology.

The episode explores:

• The uncertainty around clinical influences on reinnervation
• The importance of this single-center study in expanding the literature
• Potential future treatment options

For the latest studies from JHLT, visit www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, access your Journal membership at www.ishlt.org/jhlt.

Those on lung transplant teams should check the previous episode for a study on recent trends and post-transplant outcomes from EVLP.

Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

It’s time for the final episode of JHLT: The Podcast for 2021! Join Daniel R. Goldstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of JHLT, and the JHLT Digital Media Editors for two interviews with authors from the December issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. Both studies focus on protein biomarkers in thoracic transplantation.

First, the editors speak with Tereza Martinu, MD, MHS, Assistant Professor and Clinician at Toronto General Hospital. Dr. Martinu is the lead author on a paper entitled “Bronchoalveolar lavage cytokine-based risk stratification of minimal acute rejection in clinically stable lung transplant recipients.” Beginning at 1:45, Erika Lease, MD, and David Schibilsky, MD, interview Dr. Martinu about the findings of the study and potential future application in clinical settings.

Starting at 13:35, Van-Khue Ton, MD, PhD, and Marty Tam, MD, are in conversation with Lauren Truby, MD, Cardiology Fellow at Duke University Medical Center, about her study from the December issue: “Proteomic profiling identifies CLEC4C expression as a novel biomarker of primary graft dysfunction after heart transplantation.” Dr. Truby discusses her team’s work on PGD, the expression of CLEC4C in transplant patients, and future potential work in the field.

Follow along in the December issue at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

This episode of JHLT: The Podcast, but not the studies within, is sponsored by Paragonix.

Join Daniel R. Goldstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of JHLT, and the JHLT Digital Media Editors for two interviews with first authors from the April issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. Both studies relate to viruses in thoracic organ transplantation—but not coronaviruses!

Josue Villegas-Galaviz, MD (pictured), from the University of Kentucky, who is the first author of a paper entitled “Clinical outcomes of heart transplantation using hepatitis c-viremic donors.” Marty Tam, MD, and David Schibilsky, MD, interview Dr. Villegas-Galaviz about his multi-country journey to become a clinical and research fellow. They also explore the findings of his study, including its potential impacts on the practice of using Hep C positive donors in heart transplantation.

Next, Erika Lease, MD, is in conversation with first author Jennifer Saullo, MD, PharmD (pictured), from Duke University, on her study: “Cytomegalovirus prevention in thoracic organ transplantation: A single-center evaluation of letermovir prophylaxis.” Dr. Saullo shares how she made the decision to be educated as both a pharmacist and a physician, how that training has helped her throughout her career, and how she finds time for research amid these dual roles. She also shares her team’s work on CMV, the “troll of transplantation,” and some key take aways from using letermovir.

Follow along in the April issue at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

The June episode of JHLT: The Podcast is now live, and features a first for the podcast—an interview with a JHLT author! In this episode, host Daniel R. Goldstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, conducts an interview of Kiran Khush, MD, MAS, member of the ISHLT Board of Directors and Professor of Medicine and Director of Heart Transplant Research at Stanford University.

In the episode, Dr. Khush is interviewed by JHLT Digital Media Editors Erika Lease, MD, David Schibilsky, MD, and Van-Khue Ton, MD, PhD, on her state of the art review, entitled “Clinical utility of donor-derived cell-free DNA testing in cardiac transplantation,” which appears in the June issue of JHLT.

During the discussion, Dr. Khush answers key questions about donor derived cell-free DNA and helps “de-mystify” the importance of this assay to listeners. This is a fascinating discussion with practical clinical applications that you won’t want to miss.

Follow along in the June issue at www.jhltonline.org/current. Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.com.

This episode of JHLT: The Podcast, but not the studies within, is sponsored by Medtronic.

Welcome back to JHLT: The Podcast and our round table talks. Daniel R. Goldstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, leads a discussion with the JHLT Digital Media Editors focusing on topics from the April issue of JHLT. In this episode, we are happy to welcome our first-ever guest, David Peng, MD, Director of Pediatric Heart Failure and Mechanical Circulatory Support at the University of Michigan.

Starting at 1:45, Van-Khue Ton, MD, PhD, and Marty Tam, MD, are in discussion with David on a timely paper by Dr. Danielle Sganga and colleagues, titled “Comparison of combined heart-liver vs heart-only transplantation in pediatric and young adult Fontan recipients.”

Starting at 12:10, Erika Lease, MD, and David Schibilsky, MD, discuss a study from Bidar and colleagues called “Venous or arterial thromboses after venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and support: Frequency and risk factors.”

Follow along in the April issue at www.jhltonline.org/current. Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.com.

On this episode of JHLT: The Podcast, the JHLT Digital Media Editors explore two studies from the March issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. Digital Media Editor Marty Tam, MD, an advanced heart failure and transplant cardiologist at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, hosts this episode.

First, Dr. Tam and Digital Media Editor David Schibilsky, MD interview their first guests, Fiorella Calabrese, MD and Francesca Lunardi, MD, ScD, PhD, of University of Padova, in Padova Italy. Dr. Lunardi was first author and Dr. Calabrese was senior author on the study “Assessing the role of phosphorylated S6 ribosomal protein in the pathological diagnosis of pulmonary antibody-mediated rejection.” In the conversation, Drs. Calabrese and Lunardi share the main challenges in the current diagnostic algorithm for AMR in lung transplantation, and why this protein expression may be a future mainstay in evaluating patients with this condition.

Next, Dr. Tam and Digital Media Editor Van-Khue Ton, MD, interview their next guest, Benjamin Mackie, MD, of Tampa General Hospital. Dr. Mackie was senior author on the study “Relationship between blood and tissue-based rejection-related transcripts in heart transplantation.” In the conversation, Dr. Mackie shares the current state of rejection assessment, including new, non-invasive modalities, and how the relation between these diagnostic methods may inform clinical practice.

Follow along at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, access your Journal membership at www.ishlt.org/jhlt.

Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

This month on JHLT The Podcast, JHLT Digital Media Editor Van-Khue Ton, MD, takes over hosting duties to present two unique papers from the November issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. Listen now to hear study authors discuss their work, their studies, and next steps for their research.

First, we welcome first author Megan M. Collins, MD, about her team’s study from the University of Utah entitled “Attitudes & practices surrounding pregnancy post heart transplantation among pediatric providers.” Dr. Collins shares her journey from being an undergraduate economics major to her current career in pediatrics, including how strategy and game theory have helped her better understand her patients and thrive during her pediatric cardiology fellowship.

The study itself is exceptionally important as more pediatric heart transplant recipients reach adulthood and become interested in family planning. The study consisted of confidential and voluntary web surveys of pediatric heart transplant doctors, exploring their behaviors and policies around pregnancy and family planning.

Next, R. James White, MD, from the division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center, shares details on the study “Contemporary Risk Scores Predict Clinical Worsening in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension – An Analysis of FREEDOM-EV.” Dr. White is the senior author on the study, and discusses how he became interested in risk scores for pulmonary arterial hypertension, including some of the exciting data that they reveal.

Prior to this study, none of the event-driven trials in PAH had previously incorporated serial assessment of risk scores like hemodynamics, laboratory values, exercise tolerance, and symptoms at baseline. Using data from the FREEDOM-EV trial, the study retrospectively compared the discriminant power of 4 risk scores, REVEAL 2.0, REVEAL Lite 2, 4-strata COMPERA 2.0, and the non-invasive French risk assessment, in predicting patients’ clinical worsening at baseline and at a 12-week follow up. You won’t want to miss Dr. White’s insights on this comparison!

Follow along in the November issue at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

This episode of JHLT: The Podcast, but not the studies within, is sponsored by Altavant Sciences.

This month on JHLT: The Podcast, the JHLT Digital Media Editors review two studies from the February issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation—and bring in a couple of experts to help them make sense of some new technology.

First, the editors explore a pre-clinical study entitled “The dynamic cellular landscape of grafts with acute rejection after heart transplantation,” which comes from Kong and colleagues at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China.

Single cell technologies are emerging as non-biased techniques to discover novel biological pathways in a variety of pre-clinical models and in human tissue both in health and disease. To help the editors—and you!—understand single cell approaches and this study, JHLT editors Ben Kopecky, MD, PhD and Kory Lavine, MD, PhD, from the Washington University St. Louis, appear in the episode to explore the methodology and what the study tells us.

Second, the editors welcome author Sam Rayner, MD from the University of Washington in Seattle, USA, to discuss the paper by Hirsch and colleagues, “Circulating markers of inflammation and angiogenesis and clinical outcomes across subtypes of pulmonary arterial hypertension.”

When considering differences in pathophysiology of the subtypes of PAH, changes in biomarkers in angiogenesis and inflammation may provide useful insights and potential therapeutic targets. The authors of this study prospectively looked at 33 biomarkers of angiogenesis and inflammation in a cohort of patients across various PAH etiologies, and made correlations to clinical outcomes.

Follow along at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.