Diastolic Dysfunction in Human Cardiac Allografts is Related with Reduced SERCA2a Gene Expression

Previous studies demonstrated that impaired left ventricular (LV) relaxation in cardiac allografts limits exercise tolerance post‐transplant despite preserved systolic ejection fraction (EF). This study tested in human cardiac allografts whether the isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT), which provides the basis for most of diastolic LV filling, relates with gene expression of regulatory proteins of calcium homeostasis or cardiac matrix proteins. Gene expression was studied in 31 heart transplant recipients (25 male, 6 female) 13–83 months post‐transplant with LVEF >50%, LV end‐diastolic pressure