Histidine-rich glycoprotein has been reported as an anti-inflammatory glycoprotein that inhibits acute lung injury in mice with sepsis and as a prognostic biomarker in patients with sepsis. We investigated the relationship between plasma concentrations of histidine-rich glycoprotein and the risk of occurrence of primary graft dysfunction.
According to the primary graft dysfunction grade at post-transplant 72 hours, patients who underwent lung transplantation were divided into three groups: non-primary graft dysfunction group (grade 0-1), moderate primary graft dysfunction group (grade 2), and severe primary graft dysfunction group (grade 3). The plasma concentrations of histidine-rich glycoprotein measured daily during the first post-transplant 7 days were compared among the three groups. Appropriate cutoff values of the concentrations were set for survival analyses after lung transplantation.
A total of 68 patients were included. The plasma histidine-rich glycoprotein concentration at post-transplant 72 hours was significantly lower in the severe primary graft dysfunction group (n = 7) than in the other two groups (non-primary graft dysfunction group (n = 43), P = 0.042; moderate primary graft dysfunction group (n = 18), P = 0.040). Patients with plasma histidine-rich glycoprotein concentration ≥34.4 µg/mL at post-transplant 72 hours had significantly better chronic lung allograft dysfunction-free survival (P = 0.012) and overall survival (P = 0.037) than those with the concentration <34.4 µg/mL.
Plasma histidine-rich glycoprotein concentrations at post-transplant 72 hours might be associated with the risk of development of primary graft dysfunction.
© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery.