OBJECTIVEEndomyocardial biopsies from 42 (35 males and 7 females, aged 43.3 years) heart transplant recipients due to end-stage heart failure between June 2004 and January 2006 in our institute were obtained for pathological studies.

METHODSSixteen patients underwent 1 endomyocardial biopsy (right ventricular septum) between 13 days to 5 months, 13 patients underwent second biopsy between 1.5 to 8 months and 10 patients underwent third biopsy between 3 to 8.5 months post transplantation. Specimen were stained by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and Phosphotungstic Acid Hematoxylin (PTAH) and observed under light microscope and cardiac allograft rejection were evaluated according to the Revision of the 1990 working formulation for the standardization of nomenclature in the diagnosis of heart rejection in 2004.

RESULTSThe rejection grades were as follows: Grade 0 R in 31 biopsies; Grade 1 R (mild rejection 1990 grade 1A, 1B and 2.) in 30 biopsies; Grade 2 R (moderate rejection, 1990 grade 3A) in 3 biopsies; Grade 1 R cellular rejection companies with humoral rejection in 1 biopsy. Cellular rejection with Quilty effect was found in 2 biopsies. Ischemic myocardial injury presented in 4 biopsies. Quilty effect was observed in 1 biopsy. Cytomegalovirus or toxoplasmic myocarditis was not observed.

CONCLUSIONSEndomyocardial biopsy (EMB) is a valuable diagnostic procedure for rejection surveillance in heart allograft recipients. The observed low rejection incidence and mild rejection from specimens of our heart recipients were comparable to the results of developed countries.