Left ventricular hypertrophy, treadmill tests, and 24-hour blood pressure in pediatric transplant patients.
BACKGROUND
Hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) are possible complications in pediatric patients after renal transplantation.


METHODS
We performed left ventricular echocardiography, 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (24-hr ABPM), and treadmill tests in 28 pediatric renal transplant patients (mean age 16.1 +/- 3.7; time since transplantation 36 +/- 23 months). Left ventricular mass (LVM) was indexed for height 2.7.


RESULTS
LVH was found in 82% of the patients. Seven of these patients were normotensive by 24-hour ABPM, but five patients showed a hypertensive systolic BP response during the treadmill test. LVM/height 2.7 correlated significantly with the mean 24-hour systolic BP (P = 0.002) and with the maximal exercise systolic BP (P = 0.002).


CONCLUSIONS
LVH is frequent in pediatric renal transplant patients. More information is needed with respect to the risk for LVH, including data from 24-hour ABPM and treadmill testing.
Matteucci
M C
MC
Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Bambine Gesù Research Hospital, Rome, Italy. matteucci@opbg.net
Giordano
U
U
Calzolari
A
A
Turchetta
A
A
Santilli
A
A
Rizzoni
G
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D002648:Child; D004452:Echocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging