Markers of inflammation before and after renal transplantation.
BACKGROUND
This study aims to compare serum C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients before versus after receiving renal transplantation (RT) and versus donors.


METHODS
Serum samples from 37 ESRD patients (24 male, age 34+/-13 years) were collected before and after RT; in addition, samples from 31 donors were obtained at transplantation. CRP concentrations were measured using nephelometry, and TNF-alpha and IL-6 were measured by enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay.


RESULTS
Ninety-two percent of recipients had a living donor, 73% received cyclosporine A, 27% tacrolimus, and 70% induction with daclizumab. Thirteen percent had acute rejection and 16% chronic allograft nephropathy. All inflammation markers decreased 6 months after RT, but only CRP was below baseline values (baseline: 5.0+/-3.5; 6 months: 3.0+/-0; 12 months: 3.2+/-0.7; 18 months: 3.2+/-0.6; donors: 3.6+/-1.5 mg/L; P<0.05), whereas median TNF-alpha (baseline: 0.1 [0.03-0.2]; 6 months: 0 [0-0.1]; 12 months: 0.3 [0.1-2.6]; 18 months: 0.6 [0.1-1.9]; donors: 0 [0-0.1] pg/mL; P<0.05) and IL-6 (baseline: 1.9 [1.2-7.1]; 6 months: 1.2 [0.6-28.3]; 12 months: 2.6 [1.3-3.4]; 18 months: 2.7 [1.7-4.2]; donors: 1.1 [0.6-1.9] pg/mL; P<0.05) significantly increased up to the end of follow-up. Before RT, CRP correlated with age (r 0.45, P=0.006) and albumin (r -0.36, P=0.04). TNF-alpha and IL-6 were correlated before (r 0.34, P=0.04) and after (r 0.55, P=0.02) RT. Inflammation markers were not different in patients who had acute rejection episodes or chronic nephropathy.


CONCLUSIONS
Compared with controls, patients displayed an inflammatory phenomenon before receiving RT. Serum CRP decreased significantly after RT, whereas TNFalpha and IL-6 increased.
Cueto-Manzano
Alfonso M
AM
Unidad de Investigación Médica en Epidemiología Clínica, Hospital de Especialidades, CMNO, Guadalajara, Mexico. a_cueto_manzano@hotmail.com
Morales-Buenrostro
Luis E
LE
González-Espinoza
Liliana
L
González-Tableros
Norma
N
Martín-del-Campo
Fabiola
F
Correa-Rotter
Ricardo
R
Valera
Isela
I
Alberú
Josefina
J
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000453:epidemiology; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D014019:Tissue Donors
D015415:Biomarkers; D015850:Interleukin-6; D002097:C-Reactive Protein