title: The beneficial effects of recipient-derived vascular endothelial growth factor on graft survival after kidney transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is crucial for preservation of microvasculature and contributes to cytoprotection of the graft after kidney transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors investigated the influence of VEGF single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on graft survival after renal transplantation. The SNP at positions -2578, -1154, and, -7 were analyzed in 306 donors and 387 recipients of renal transplants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The authors observed no effect of those recipient or donor SNP on acute rejection. However, graft survival was associated with recipient SNP at position -2578 C/A. Recipients with a genetic basis for high production of VEGF had significantly better graft survival compared with recipients with low production of VEGF. Homozygotes for the A allele (low producers of VEGF) had worse graft survival compared with high producers, the heterozygotes and homozygotes for C allele (P=0.03). Multivariate analysis in which the effects of donor age, recipient race, cold ischemia time, donor origin, and number of human leukocyte antigen mismatches were included showed that the status of noncarriers of -2578 C allele of recipients was an independent factor for graft failure (odds ratio, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-3.0; P=0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The authors conclude that homozygote recipients for the -2578 A allele, the low producers of VEGF, are more vulnerable to tissue injury, resulting in worse graft survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Francine B C
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Lemos
authors.forename: Wendy M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Mol
authors.forename: Joke I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Roodnat
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uitterlinden
authors.forename: Jan N M
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Ijzermans
authors.forename: Willem
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Weimar
authors.forename: Carla C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Baan
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002102:Cadaver; D017931:DNA Primers; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000401:mortality / Q000502:physiology*; D019520:Living Donors; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014019:Tissue Donors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A