title: Successful kidney transplantation ameliorates arterial stiffness in end-stage renal disease patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Successful kidney transplantation (KTx) can ameliorate bodily damage caused by end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Arterial stiffness (AS) is one of the critical factors that shorten the survival of patients due to cardiovascular events. KTx may reduce AS as well; however, this has not been investigated well. We therefore conducted a retrospective study using noninvasive pulse wave velocity (PWV), which is a useful index of aortic damage.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-eight consecutive kidney recipients (34 men, 24 women) were enrolled in this study. Mean age at transplantation was 40.5 ± 12.3 years and the dialysis period was 73.1 ± 95.8 months. The brachial-ankle PWV was measured preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively. First, we investigated the relationship between the PWV and the other parameters related to AS. Second, we studied the pre- to posttransplant change in PWV to evaluate the amelioration of AS after successful KTx.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PWV showed significant positive correlations with age, systolic blood pressure (BP), diastolic BP, and abdominal aortic calcification index. After successful KTx, PWV significantly decreased (P < .01). In addition, systolic and diastolic BP significantly decreased (P < .01 and P < .05, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Successful KTx ameliorates AS in ESRD patients. This might explain the improved cardiovascular prognosis of ESRD patients who undergo KTx.
authors.affiliation: Department of Renal and Genitourinary Surgery, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan. hotta1125@mac.com
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hotta
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Iwami
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fukuzawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Seki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Togashi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nonomura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001158:Arteries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003187:Compliance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged