This month—two studies on COVID-19! Daniel R. Goldstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of JHLT, is taking a short break, so the episode is hosted by Digital Media Editor Erika Lease, MD. Both COVID-19 studies come from the September issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, and in the episode, you’ll learn more about each study and their authors.

 

First, the editors speak with Yael Peled, MD, Medical Director of the Heart Transplant Service at the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel. She’s the first author on a paper entitled “Fourth BNT162b2 vaccination neutralization of omicron infection after heart transplantation.” Dr. Lease and Marty Tam, MD, interview Dr. Peled about the study, which examples how IgG and neutralizing antibodies responded to a fourth BNT162b2 dose in heart transplant recipients against the omicron and delta variants versus the wild-type virus.

 

Next, we hear from C.T. Gan, MD, PhD, Consultant in Respiratory Medicine and Lung Transplantation at University Medical Center Groningen, on his study, “The effect of COVID-19 on transplant function and development of CLAD in lung transplant patients: a multicenter experience.” Dr. Lease and Van-Khue Ton, MD, discuss the study with Dr. Gan, including questions on management strategies for COVID-19 in lung transplant patients, lung function improvements after COVID-19 recovery, and potential follow up studies.

 

Follow along in the September issue at www.jhltonline.org/current, or, if you’re an ISHLT member, log in at ishlt.org/journal-of-heart-lung-transplantation.  Don’t already get the Journal and want to read along? Join the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at www.ishlt.org for a free subscription, or subscribe today at www.jhltonline.org.

 

This episode of JHLT: The Podcast, but not the studies within, is sponsored by Bayer Pharmaceuticals.