Affiliations: Heart Center Dresden Ltd, Department of Cardiac Surgery, Technical University Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany | Institute for Heart and Circulation Research, Maria‐Grollmuß straße 10, 02977 Hoyerswerda, Germany | Division of Angiology, Praxisklinik Cardiology' Angiology' Radiology, Forststraße 3, 01099 Dresden, Germany | Department of Clinical Haemostasiology and Transfusion Medicine, University of the Saarland, 66421 Homburg/Saar, Germany
Note: [] Corresponding author: Prof. (ROK) Dr med. habil. J.‐W. Park, Institute for Heart and Cardiovascular Research, Maria‐Grollmuß straße 10, 02977 Hoyerswerda, Germany. Tel.: +49 3571 443434; Fax: +49 3571 443238; E‐mail: dihkf@saarmail.de.
Abstract: In this study, the extent to which intramuscular pO2 is influenced by a single HELP‐apheresis (Heparin‐induced Extracorporeal LDL Precipitation) was investigated in 10 patients with cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) and severe lipid disorder. For this purpose, a sterile flexible pO2 microcatheter was inserted into the anterior tibial muscle and pO2 monitoring was begun 10 minutes before starting apheresis treatment. The intramuscular pO2 values were recorded continuously until the end of apheresis treatment and a subsequent 30‐minute further observation phase. The patients with CAV and severe lipid disorder presented with 11.6±3.8 mmHg significantly and pathologically reduced intramuscular pO2 (p<0.001). LDL apheresis resulted in a significant increase in pO2 in the anterior tibial muscle. Thirty minutes after the end of HELP‐apheresis, intramuscular partial oxygen pressure had increased by 162% and showed values at this point, 30.3±9.8 mmHg, similar to those found in healthy subjects.
