IgA Vasculitis With Henoch-Schönlein Purpura as an Immune Complication Associated With Left Ventricle Assist Device Insertion.

The implantation of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) in patients with end-stage heart failure can be associated with some forms of immune dysregulation and systemic inflammatory response. These abnormalities may be related to impaired T-lymphocyte-dependent immunity and B-lymphocyte hyper-reactivity and may lead to the development of autoimmune processes and the occurrence of severe infections. We present here the first observation of a peculiar immune complication associated with the implantation of an LVAD, characterized by an IgA vasculitis clinically manifested as Henoch-Schönlein purpura. The vasculitis was biologically associated with a significant increase of the plasma levels of C-X-C motif chemokine ligand (CXCL)13, a CXC motif chemokine produced by follicular dendritic cells, which targets CXCR5, a receptor primarily expressed by B lymphocytes, to promote their chemotaxis and expansion. Spontaneous resolution of the vasculitis occurred over time, concomitantly to a decrease of CXCL13 expression. These findings suggest that CXCL13 might be an interesting biomarker to detect auto-antigen sampling and the risk of secondary immune complications following LVAD implantation.