title: Comparing aortic stiffness in kidney transplant recipients, hemodialysis patients, and patients with chronic renal failure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The poor cardiovascular survival of patients with renal insufficiency is improved by transplantation. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) is able to predict independently overall and cardiovascular mortality. PWV is elevated in renal insufficiency. Consequently, PWV may change according to the improvement in renal function after kidney transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross-sectional setting, PWV was determined in 40 renal transplant recipients (RTx) and compared to the PWV of 40 age- and gender-matched patients with comparable renal insufficiency (CKD) and 40 age- and gender-matched hemodialysis patients (HD).
  
  
  RESULTS
  RTx and CKD patients had comparable eGFR (RTx: 42.9 ± 18.4, CKD: 48.3 ± 29.1 mL/min/1.73 m(2)) and protein/creatinine ratio (RTx: median 172.5, 25th percentile 97.75, 75th percentile 344.5, CKD: median 183.272, 25th percentile 100.00, 75th percentile 470.00 mg/g creatinine). There was no significant difference in PWV between RTx 3-12 months post-transplant and CKD or HD patients (RTx: 9.65 ± 1.57, CKD: 9.98 ± 3.91, HD: 10.27 ± 2.89 m/s; n = 20 pairs). Similarly, PWV in transplant patients >12-month post-transplant was similar to that of CKD and HD patients (RTx: 9.71 ± 2.23, CKD: 9.36 ± 2.74, HD: 9.84 ± 3.41 m/s; n = 20 pairs).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We could not detect significant differences in PWV comparing RTx with age- and gender-matched CKD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Cheng R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schmaderer
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roos
authors.forename: Maximilian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: von Eynatten
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sollinger
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lutz
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Heemann
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baumann
mesh_terms: D001011:Aorta / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D059289:Vascular Stiffness