THIS MONTH'S FOCUS:
2015 ANNUAL MEETING & SCIENTIFIC SESSIONS WRAP UP
(PDF VERSION)
Vincent's Two Lincoln Copper Pieces:
As we leave Nice and the forgotten lore of the great French artisans, scientists and philosophers, recall what Henry Higgins of My Fair Lady boasted about the French: "the French don't care what they do actually, as long as they pronounce it properly." Also, note Alexis de Tocqueville's comments about Washington, DC from his visit in 1831. From his writings, Washington was a modest city, built as America's Capitol with a grandiose plan. This city is proof that government can sponsor large works of art. Today, in contrast to the time of Tocqueville's writings, all the monuments are in place. He never saw these monuments, but he was keenly aware of the monumentality attached to a National Capitol. The citizens of the United States collectively ,through Congress, can afford such grandiosity. But Tocqueville was put off by this scheme; how dare the Americans name the hill where the legislature meets Capitol Hill, a name derived from the famous Capitoline Hill in Rome. How can such a mediocre town claim the most grandiose seat of government in the history of world? Is this American pretentiousness? Is this French envy? Fast forward 184 years, what would Tocqueville think of Washington, DC, today? Maybe America cares about its actions and results, or perhaps its success evolves over time from planning.
Although we may want to rest on our laurels over the success of the most well attended ISHLT meeting abroad, we must now look ahead and move forward to the upcoming 36th Annual meeting in Washington DC. Many of us are scurrying to put forth ideas for the program committee to create and plan a monumental program for next year's session in Washington, DC.
Drifting on, I cannot help but link, or think, the thoughts of recent events to what has been evolving in ISHLT. Most notably, Benjamin Earl Nelson, better known as Ben E. King, died April 30, 2015 of "coronary" problems. He was born in Henderson, North Carolina and drifted to Harlem with his family. By the way, Washington, DC is precisely the midpoint between Henderson, NC and New York City. Anyway, ISHLT had its magic moment in Nice, a hard act to follow for this year's Program Chair, Andy Fisher, and President, Duane Davis. As the 36th Annual Meeting's program unfolds, I am quite sure by the end of next year's meeting, Andy will be proud to say, there goes my baby and Duane will ask to save the last dance for me. But it will be ISHLT demanding all of us to stand by me (me referring to ISHLT) as a declaration of devotion to all it represents from devotion to the sufferers of advanced heart and lung diseases, Junior Faculty Council, Pioneers of ISHLT, culture of safety for our patients, and emerging nations expanding ISHLT to the devotion to the prohibition on illicit Organ Trafficking, Transplant Tourism and Transplant Commercialism and to the Quagmire of quantity over quality quandary. By working or hanging together within ISHLT, none of this will stand in our way. As America's Voltaire, Benjamin Franklin, stated at the signing of the Declaration of Independence on Thursday, July 4, 1776, "We must indeed, all hang together, or assuredly we shall hang separately." Finally, because of its proximity to DC, let's make no mention of the recent events in Baltimore, however it is worth mentioning that Prince William and Kate Middleton named their new Royal Baby - Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.
Vincent Valentine, MD
Links Editor-in-Chief
IN THE SPOTLIGHT:
ISHLT 2015 Recapitulation: Summary of the Plenary Sessions at ISHLT 2015
Vincent Valentine, MD
The inimitable Andreas Zuckermann opened the 35th Annual ISHLT Meeting Plenary Sessions in the South of France by assuring that everyone will be famous for 15 minutes - Andy Warhol. Andreas pointed out that the meaning of Zuckermann in English, Sugarman, now who are you calling "sucker?" In his Program Chair Report, 2900 attendees represents the largest gathering of any ISHLT meeting outside North America. An all-time record of 1706 abstracts were submitted with 61% accepted. There is continued expansion of emerging nations from the Middle East, Asia, Eastern Europe and South America up another 3.5%. With that, two Emergent Regions Concurrent oral sessions and one Emergent Regions Poster session have been added to the slate. Read more →
FOCUSING ON THE ANNUAL MEETING:
ISHLT in Nizza - What's Hot, What's New for Transplant Cardiologists in 2015
Marco Masetti, MD
Luciano Potena, MD, PhD
The 34th ISHLT Meeting and Scientific Sessions, held from April 15th to 18th, gathered the largest audience ever for an ISHLT European venue. Besides the charming Promenade des Anglais, the freshness of the seafood at Café de Turin, and the Italian taste of the old downtown, what is going to remain in the heart of the many cardiologists crowding the Acropolis conference Center? This year, congress dealt with many of the current needs and doubts of a physician working in the field of heart failure and heart transplantation, identifying four major topics of novelty. Read more →
The ISHLT in Nice: Viewed Through the Eyes of One Heart Failure/Transplant Cardiologist
Maryl Johnson, MD
The ISHLT meetings in Nice provided a true potpourri of items of significant interest and importance to heart failure/transplant cardiologists. Although it is impossible to summarize the myriad presentations in a few paragraphs, some themes predominated and are worthy of highlighting (seasoned with a generous dose of personal opinion).
First, the burgeoning field of mechanical circulatory support versus the stable field of heart transplantation was clear. The functional benefits of LVAD implantation in patients with advanced heart failure continue to be shown, while the side effects (neurologic and bleeding in particular) continue to give us pause to expanding the use of LVADs to less ill patients. Fortunately, numerous presentations were aimed at trying to provide a basic understanding of the mechanisms of the complications that occur in VAD patients, which hopefully over time will allow a decrease in complications and more comfort in implanting VADs in less ill patients. Read more →
B Cells: Tolerance, Accommodation, Regulation, Immunodeficiency and Therapy
Javier Carbone, MD, PhD
During the 35th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation from April 15th through April 18th, the contribution of B cells to accommodation, rejection or tolerance of the allograft was a topic of interest. Current understanding of the role of B cells in heart and lung transplantation is limited. What follows are some highlights from distinct sessions.
In a specific pre-meeting symposium (number 18) with focus in B cells in transplantation, Dr Esme Dijke opened the session with a great review of the role of B cells in the alloimmune response. Potential biomarkers related with donor specific IgG antibody secreting B cells (number, persistence and mutations of V region) should be taken into account. Read more →
Crossing the Bridge of Eastern and Western Cultures: Lung Transplantation in Turkey
Selim M. Arcasoy, MD, MPH
After the growing pains, lung transplantation is slowly becoming more common and successful in Turkey. The first several attempts at lung transplantation in Turkey occurred in 1999 with no long-term survivors. The fifth recipient of lungs ten years later in 2009 was the first to achieve prolonged survival before succumbing to chronic allograft rejection. Between 2009 and 2014, 105 lung transplants have been performed in six centers (four of these are in Istanbul and two in Ankara). Only three of them have done more than 10 transplants while two have performed more than 30 transplants each. Interestingly, the vast majority of these transplants have occurred in non-university hospitals. Read more →
2015 Annual Meeting: Daily Links
For those who missed the meeting, are looking for a recap or just want to refresh your memory, the Daily Links can be a valuable source. View the articles written by our Roving Reporters, Sai K. Bhagra, Catriona J. Bhagra, Erin Schumer, Simon Pecha and Emily Stimpson, and put together by Vincent Valentine, Lauren Daniels and Naomi Rios for an up to date guide on the daily happenings of the 35th ISHLT Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions. Read more →
ISHLT NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:
2016 Call for Symposium Proposals
Andrew J. Fisher, FRCP, PhD
While its tempting to take a break to relax and unwind after an eventful meeting in Nice, it is already time to start developing content for the ISHLT 36th Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions. We encourage you to submit ideas for pre-meeting and sunrise symposia and/or invited Plenary talks for next year's meeting, to be held in Washington, DC, USA, April 27-30, 2016. Although, well worked complete symposia proposals are preferred, we welcome suggestions for potential plenary speakers from outside the transplant community who might deliver an excellent presentation with widespread appeal to members.
Read more →
Keep Calm and Connect Online!
Do you have a difficult case weighing heavily on your mind and would appreciate some advice & feedback from other ISHLT members who might have experience with a similar case? Perhaps you have an idea for a symposium for the 2016 Annual Meeting but would like to collaborate with others to fine tune it before actually submitting a proposal? Do you have a job opportunity at your institution and need a quick way to spread the word to fellow transplant professionals? Are you interested in mentoring a fellow member, or wish to be mentored by one? Are you interested in contacting members from a specific geographic location, or a specific professional specialty, or a specific center/institution, but have no idea how to find or contact them? Read more →
EDITOR'S CORNER:
An American Lunger in Nice for the ISHLT
Daniel F. Dilling, MD
After great anticipation, the ISHLT meeting in Nice has come and gone. As usual, the meeting included strong content, important networking and mentoring, and a rich cultural experience. Nice did not disappoint. I soaked in the Côte d'Azur sun during my walk each day, ducking under clementine orange trees and stealing away for a brief visit to the nearby Matisse museum. And the food! But was that a tomato-infused ziti in my margherita hors-d'oeuvre or some sort of homage to red rubber suction tubing
So of course I'm pulmonary inclined and so I can't speak to the (naturally) excellent cardiac clinical content. But from my end, I was particularly impressed with presentations by Ramsey Hachem (who described poorer outcomes in patients who develop donor-specific antibodies after lung transplantation) and by Clemens Aigner (who presented data from a prospective randomized trial of ex-vivo lung perfusion in standard donor lungs < the question everyone is wondering about).
Read more →
"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.
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— Benjamin Franklin
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Disclaimer: Any opinion, conclusion or recommendation published by the Links is the sole expression of the writer(s) and does not necessarily reflect the views of the ISHLT.