title: Normal adiponectin levels in kidney transplant patients with hypertension.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Kidney transplant patients are a unique population where despite correction of their kidney function they are still considered to be at high cardiovascular (CV) risk. Adiponectin, an adipokine secreted from adipocytes, has protective CV properties. Patients with essential hypertension (HTN) have low adiponectin levels that are associated with a high CV risk. The aim of this study was to assess adiponectin levels in hypertensive renal transplant recipients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fasting blood adiponectin levels were measured in hypertensive kidney transplant patients (n = 18), patients with essential HTN (n = 17) and healthy subjects (n = 14). Patients with diabetes mellitus and renal failure were excluded from the study. Anthropomorphic and metabolic parameters were also measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with essential HTN had lower adiponectin levels than healthy controls (6 ± 0.7 μg/mL vs. 11 ± 0.9 μg/mL, p < 0.001), whereas hypertensive kidney transplant patients had adiponectin levels that were similar to adiponectin levels found in normal controls (11 ± 1.1 μg/mL). Adiponectin levels in healthy subjects were inversely correlated with plasma triglycerides (r = -0.876, p < 0.001) and with body weight (r = -0.7, p < 0.001). There was no such a correlation in patients with HTN.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adiponectin in hypertensive kidney transplant recipients is not an appropriate CV risk marker as it does not adequately distinguish these patients from normal controls.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine D and Hypertension Unit, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel. avshalom.leibowitz@sheba.health.gov.il
authors.forename: Avshalom
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leibowitz
authors.forename: Edna
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Peleg
authors.forename: Aharon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ben-David
authors.forename: Yehonatan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sharabi
authors.forename: Yehuda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kamari
authors.forename: Eliezer
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Holzman
authors.forename: Ehud
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grossman
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: body weight; cardiovascular risk; renal failure; renal transplant recipient; triglycerides