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J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2003;126:1000-1004
© 2003 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery

Surgery for acquired cardiovascular disease

Acellularized porcine heart valve scaffolds for heart valve tissue engineering and the risk of cross-species transmission of porcine endogenous retrovirus

R. G. Leyh, MD, PhDa,*, M. Wilhelmi, MDa, T. Walles, MDa, K. Kallenbach, MDa, P. Rebe, MDb, A. Oberbeckb, T. Herdenb, A. Haverich, MD, PhDa, H. Mertsching, PhDb

a Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
b LEBAO (Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs), Hannover, Germany

Received for publication August 1, 2002; revisions received August 28, 2002; accepted for publication December 30, 2002.

* Address for reprints: Rainer G. Leyh, MD, PhD, Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Carl Neuberg St. 1, 30623 Hannover, Germany
leyh{at}thg.mh-hannover.de

OBJECTIVE: Acellularized porcine heart valve scaffolds have been successfully used for heart valve tissue engineering, creating living functioning heart valve tissue. However, there is concern about the possibility of porcine endogenous retrovirus transmission. In this study we investigated whether acellularized porcine heart valve scaffold causes cross-species transmission of porcine endogenous retrovirus in a sheep model.

METHODS: Acellularized porcine pulmonary valve conduits (n = 3) and in vitro autologous repopulated porcine pulmonary valve conduits (n = 5) were implanted into sheep in the pulmonary valve position. Surgery was carried out with cardiopulmonary bypass support. The animals were killed 6 months after the operation. Blood samples were collected regularly up to 6 months after the operation and tested for porcine endogenous retrovirus by means of polymerase chain reaction and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. In addition, explanted tissue-engineered heart valves were tested for porcine endogenous retrovirus after 6 month in vivo.

RESULTS: Porcine endogenous retrovirus DNA was detectable in acellularized porcine heart valve tissue. However, 6 months after implantation of in vitro and in vivo repopulated acellularized porcine heart valve scaffolds, no porcine endogenous retrovirus sequences were detectable in heart valve tissue and peripheral blood.

CONCLUSION: Acellularized porcine matrix scaffolds used for creation of tissue-engineered heart valves do not transmit porcine endogenous retrovirus.






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