This month on JHLT The Podcast, JHLT Digital Media Editor Marty Tam, MD, takes over hosting duties to present two papers from the December issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. Listen now to hear study authors discuss their work, their studies, and next steps for their research.

First, we welcome first author Jorge V. López-Ibor, MD, and senior author Javier Segovia-Cubero, MD, PhD, about their team's study from Hospital Universitario Puerto de Hierro Majadahonda entitled "Role of TGF-β1 +869T>C polymorphism in renal dysfunction one year after heart transplantation." Drs. López-Ibor and Segovia-Cubero share some background on their work and their areas of research before diving into the study.

The study analyzed 355 adult patients for renal dysfunction a year post-heart transplant and suggested a protective role for the TGF- β1 + 869CC genotypes in the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in heart transplant patients on calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs).

Next, Tsuyoshi Takahashi, MD, PhD, from Washington University, shares details on the study "A comparison of outcomes after lung transplantation between European and North American centers." Dr. Takahashi begins by discussing his global journey in thoracic surgery, including some of the differences between being a surgeon in the United States and Japan.

The study used the ISHLT Thoracic Organ Registry to complete a retrospective, comparative cohort analysis of adult patients undergoing deceased donor lung transplant in North America and Europe between January 2006 and December 2016. It compared overall survival between North American and European transplant centers in a propensity score matched analysis, suggesting a higher 5-year survival for European centers. Dr. Takahashi answers questions about the many factors contributing to these variances.

Follow along in the December 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 Enzyvant.