The Evolution of Systemic Microvascular Reactivity in Heart Transplant Patients

April 7, 2026 updated by: Eduardo Tibirica, MD, PhD, National Institute of Cardiology, Laranjeiras, Brazil
The evolution of systemic microvascular reactivity may aid in the comprehension of cardiovascular physiology in heart transplantation patients, and possibly suggest the non-invasive evaluation of skin microcirculation as an ancillary tool in the clinical evaluation of these patients.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Introduction: Systemic microvascular reactivity (MR) is an essential component of cardiovascular physiology, being studied through non-invasive techniques in readily accessible body regions, such as the skin surface. Heart transplant (HT) is a treatment considered to selected patients, with advanced heart failure. The main cause of long-term mortality after HT is graft vascular disease (GVD), a condition which starts with endothelial dysfunction. To know the evolution of systemic MR in patients subjected to HT can help to find prognostic factors. Objective: The present study aims to perform the prospective evaluation of systemic MR in adult patients, before and two years after HT, at a quaternary hospital, correlating the findings with clinical variables. Methods: Systemic MR will be evaluated in the skin of the forearm using laser speckle contrast imaging with acetylcholine (ACh) iontophoresis, followed by postocclusive reactive hyperemia (PORH), before and after HT. Measurements will be correlated to patient clinical profile, hemodynamic and echocardiographic data. Expected results: The evolution of systemic MR may aid in the comprehension of cardiovascular physiology in HT patients, and possibly suggest the non-invasive evaluation of skin microcirculation as an ancillary tool in the clinical evaluation of these patients.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
31

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Eduardo Tibirica Tibirica, MD, PhD
  • Phone Number: +55-21-99914-6075
  • Email: etibi@uol.com.br

Study Locations

  • Brazil
      • Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 22240006
        • Recruiting
        • Eduardo Tibiriçá
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

N/A

Sampling Method

Probability Sample

Study Population

adult individuals from the cohort of heart failure patients under evaluation for heart transplantation, at the National Institute of Cardiology, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • capability to understand the objectives of the research and to fulfill the Term of Consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnancy, acute infection diagnosis, use of circulatory assistance devices

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
heart transplantation
Diagnostic test: skin microvascular reactivity
Laser-based method for evaluating non-invasive, operator-independent systemic microvascular function that detects microvascular flow in the skin for the evaluation of systemic vascular endothelial function.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Baseline and post-iontophoresis of acetylcholine endothelium-dependent skin microvascular reactivity
Time Frame: Microvascular reactivity will be evaluated 20-minute rest in the supine position in a temperature-controlled room.
Evaluation of systemic microvascular reactivity induced by endothelium-dependent agents. Microvascular reactivity will be evaluated using a non-invasive and operator -independent methodology, named laser speckle contrast imaging, coupled with skin iontophoresis of vasodilator agents. Cutaneous microvascular flow will be measured in arbitrary perfusion units, divided by mean arterial pressure, to yield cutaneous vascular conductance.
Microvascular reactivity will be evaluated 20-minute rest in the supine position in a temperature-controlled room.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
National Institute of Cardiology, Laranjeiras, Brazil

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 1, 2022

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 6, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 6, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
February 15, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 13, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 7, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 45581521.0.0000.5272

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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