title: Fasting serum long-acting natriuretic peptide correlates with the ankle brachial index in renal transplant recipients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Peripheral arterial diseases associated with an increased risk of death in kidney transplant patients. Natriuretic peptide has anti-atherosclerotic effects. We sought to evaluate the relation between ankle-brachial index and fasting serum long-acting natriuretic peptide concentrations in kidney transplant patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fasting blood samples were obtained from 69 kidney transplant patients. Serum long-acting natriuretic peptide concentrations were measured using a commercially available enzyme immunoassay kit. Left or right ankle-brachial index values that were < 0.9 were included in the low ankle-brachial index group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen patients (21.7%) were enrolled in the low ankle-brachial index group. Increased waist circumference (P = .013), higher serum total cholesterol levels (P = .019), higher triglyceride levels (P = .002), and decreased serum long-acting natriuretic peptide concentrations (P = .006) were noted in the low ankle-brachial index group. Univariate linear regression analysis indicated that the left/right ankle-brachial index values of the subjects were negatively correlated with serum triglycerides (P = .008 or P < .001) and fasting glucose levels (P = .034 or P = .012), but were positively correlated with long-acting natriuretic peptide concentrations (P = .011 or P = .011). Multivariate forward stepwise linear regression analyses of the significant variables revealed that serum triglycerides and long-acting natriuretic peptide levels were independent predictors of the left/right ankle-brachial index values of kidney transplant patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum long-acting natriuretic peptide concentrations correlate positively with ankle-brachial index values among the kidney transplant patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Guan-Jin
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Yen-Cheng
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wen-Yao
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Yao-Jen
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Ming-Che
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Bang-Gee
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Hsu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D055105:Waist Circumference
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D014280:Triglycerides; C054547:atrial natriuretic factor prohormone (1-30), human; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor; D002784:Cholesterol