Persistently increased systemic, but not cardiac-specific, adhesion molecule expression and coronary endothelial dysfunction in human cardiac allografts

Persistently high levels of circulating adhesion molecules are of systemic, but not cardiac-specific, origin and reflect a chronic inflammatory state throughout the first year after heart transplantation. This is associated with impairment of coronary vasomotor function, an early and potentially reversible step in the process of atherothrombosis and transplant coronary artery disease.