Abstract

BACAL, Fernando  and  BOCCHI, Edimar Alcides. Cardiac transplantation for Chagas' disease. Insuf. card. [online]. 2008, vol.3, n.2, pp.85-87. ISSN 1852-3862.

Over the last 20 years the immunosuppression protocols in chagasic heart transplanted patients lived at least three different moments and we testified several changes and discoveries on Chagas' disease reactivation, mortality and neoplasias development. The primary phase was important especially because, until that time, Chagas' disease was an absolute contraindication for transplantation. The second phase started when immunosuppression protocol adjustment was made, with lower dosage to avoid adverse effects, especially neoplasias. Nowadays strategies to change the immunosuppression, especially replacement of mycophenolate mofetil by azathioprine were shown to be effective in reducing Chagas' disease reactivation. Cardiac transplantation for Chagas' disease is a reality. Although chagasics have several different implications when submitted to the transplant comparing to others aethiologies, actually these difficulties are well known, so treatments and preventive strategies are also better established.

Keywords : Chagas' disease; Cardiac transplantation; Immunosuppression; Reactivation.

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