Published Online
on May 23, 2005

A more recent version of this article appeared on May 31, 2005

This Article Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 111/21/2792    most recent CIRCULATIONAHA.104.473629v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Rieder, E. Articles by Weigel, G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Rieder, E. Articles by Weigel, G. Pubmed/NCBI databases Substance via MeSH Related Collections Valvular heart disease CV surgery: valvular disease Related Article

Submitted on May 7, 2004
Revised on December 28, 2004
Accepted on February 4, 2005

Tissue Engineering of Heart Valves. Decellularized Porcine and Human Valve Scaffolds Differ Importantly in Residual Potential to Attract Monocytic Cells

Erwin Rieder MD, Gernot Seebacher MD, Marie-Theres Kasimir MD, Eva Eichmair MS, Birgitta Winter MS, Barbara Dekan MS, Ernst Wolner MD, Paul Simon MD, and Guenter Weigel MD^*

From the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Ludwig-Boltzmann-Institute for Cardiosurgical Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: guenter.weigel{at}meduniwien.ac.at.

Background--Tissue-engineered or decellularized heart valves have already been implanted in humans or are currently approaching the clinical setting. The aim of this study was to examine the migratory response of human monocytic cells toward decellularized porcine and human heart valves, a pivotal step in the early immunologic reaction.

Methods and Results--Porcine and human pulmonary valve conduits were decellularized, and migration of U-937 monocytic cells toward extracted heart valve proteins was examined in a transmigration chamber in vitro. Homogenized tissue specimens were size fractionated by SDS-PAGE. The decellularization procedure effectively reduced the migration of human monocytes toward all heart valve tissue. However, only the antigen reduction of human pulmonary valves abolished the monocytic response (wall, 0.88±0.19% versus 30.20±3.93% migrated cells [mean±SEM]; cusps, 0.10±0.06% versus 10.24±1.83%) and was significantly lower (P<0.05) than that of the decellularized porcine equivalent (wall, 5.03±0.14% versus 24.31±2.38%; cusps, 3.18±0.38% versus 10.24±1.83%). SDS-PAGE of the pulmonary heart valve tissue revealed that considerable amounts of proteins with different molecular weights that were not detected in the human equivalent remain in the decellularized porcine heart valve.

Conclusions--We describe for the first time that the remaining potential of decellularized pulmonary heart valves to attract monocytic cells depends strongly on whether porcine or human scaffolds were used. These findings will have an important impact on further investigations in the field of heart valve tissue engineering.

Key words: immunology • inflammation • tissue engineering • valves

Related Article:

Tissue Engineering of Heart Valves: Decellularized Valve Scaffolds

Richard A. Hopkins
Circulation 2005 111: 2712-2714. [Extract] [Full Text]

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E. Hickey, S. M. Langley, O. Allemby-Smith, S. A. Livesey, and J. L. Monro Subcoronary Allograft Aortic Valve Replacement: Parametric Risk-Hazard Outcome Analysis to a Minimum of 20 Years Ann. Thorac. Surg., November 1, 2007; 84(5): 1564 - 1570. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. H. Goldbarg, S. Elmariah, M. A. Miller, and V. Fuster Insights Into Degenerative Aortic Valve Disease J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., September 25, 2007; 50(13): 1205 - 1213. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Van Nooten, P. Somers, M. Cornelissen, S. Bouchez, F. Gasthuys, E. Cox, L. Sparks, and K. Narine Acellular porcine and kangaroo aortic valve scaffolds show more intense immune-mediated calcification than cross-linked Toronto SPV(R) valves in the sheep model Interactive CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery, October 1, 2006; 5(5): 544 - 549. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Cebotari, A. Lichtenberg, I. Tudorache, A. Hilfiker, H. Mertsching, R. Leyh, T. Breymann, K. Kallenbach, L. Maniuc, A. Batrinac, et al. Clinical Application of Tissue Engineered Human Heart Valves Using Autologous Progenitor Cells Circulation, July 4, 2006; 114(1_suppl): I-132 - I-137. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Lichtenberg, I. Tudorache, S. Cebotari, M. Suprunov, G. Tudorache, H. Goerler, J.-K. Park, D. Hilfiker-Kleiner, S. Ringes-Lichtenberg, M. Karck, et al. Preclinical Testing of Tissue-Engineered Heart Valves Re-Endothelialized Under Simulated Physiological Conditions Circulation, July 4, 2006; 114(1_suppl): I-559 - I-565. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Schreiber, S. Sassen, M. Kostolny, J. Horer, J. Cleuziou, M. Wottke, K. Holper, F. Fend, A. Eicken, and R. Lange Early graft failure of small-sized porcine-valved conduits in reconstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract. Ann. Thorac. Surg., July 1, 2006; 82(1): 179 - 185. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				U.A. Stock, I. Degenkolbe, T. Attmann, K. Schenke-Layland, S. Freitag, and G. Lutter Prevention of device-related tissue damage during percutaneous deployment of tissue-engineered heart valves J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., June 1, 2006; 131(6): 1323 - 1330. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Juthier, A. Vincentelli, J. Gaudric, D. Corseaux, O. Fouquet, C. Calet, T. L. Tourneau, V. Soenen, C. Zawadzki, O. Fabre, et al. Decellularized heart valve as a scaffold for in vivo recellularization: Deleterious effects of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., April 1, 2006; 131(4): 843 - 852. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. A. Hopkins Tissue Engineering of Heart Valves: Decellularized Valve Scaffolds Circulation, May 31, 2005; 111(21): 2712 - 2714. [Full Text] [PDF]