Baboons undergoing orthotopic concordant cardiac xenotransplantation surviving more than 300 days: Effect of immunosuppressive regimen

Dr Asano

Actuarial survival of the 3 groups. Actuarial survival at 300 days after transplantation was 14.3% in regimen A animals, 50% in regimen B animals, and 40% in regimen C animals.

Change in ejection fraction. Although there were no important differences among the 3 groups, regimen A and B animals showed lower values compared with those of control animals (P = .0344 and .0187, respectively). ^*Existence of difference between periods (P = .0061 for regimen A animals, P < .0001 for regimen B animals, and P = .0167 for regimen C animals).

Change in body weight. All but one of the study animals increased in body weight naturally. The normal values for 94% of the animals lies between −2 and 2 (z value = [Observed data − Mean of normal group]/SD).

A, CD2⁺CD4⁺ T cells decreased in all groups compared with control values (P < . 0001), and differences existed among the 3 groups (P = .0071 between regimens A and B and P = .0008 between regimens B and C). ^*P = .2523 in regimen A, P = .0006 in regimen B, and P < .0001 in regimen C between both periods. B, CD25⁺CD2⁺ IL-2-activated T-cell profile. During rejection-free periods, all groups showed lower numbers compared with control values (P < .0001 in regimens A and C and P = .0002 in regimen B). Regimen C was the lowest among the 3 groups in rejection-free periods (P = .0088 between regimens A and C, P < .0001 between regimens B and C). ^*P = .0587 for regimen A, P = .0073 for regimen B, and P < .0001 for regimen C between both periods.