title: Serum leptin levels positively correlate with peripheral arterial stiffness in kidney transplantation patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Leptin is a protein predominantly produced by adipocytes that plays a pathophysiologic role in the pathogenesis of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between fasting serum leptin levels and peripheral arterial stiffness among kidney transplant (KT) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fasting blood samples were obtained from 74 KT patients. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) was measured in the right or left brachial artery to the ankle segments using an automatic pulse wave analyzer (VaSera VS-1000). Plasma leptin levels were measured using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. In this study, left or right baPWV values of less than 14.0 m/s were used to define the high arterial stiffness group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty KT patients (54.1%) were defined in high arterial stiffness group. Hypertension (P < .010), diabetes (P < .010), age (P = .010), KT duration (P = .013), triglyceride levels (P = .016), systolic blood pressure (P < .001), waist circumference (P = .031), and leptin level (P < .001) were higher, whereas serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level (P = .030) was lower in the high arterial stiffness group compared with the low arterial stiffness group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that leptin (odds ratio, 1.033; 95% CI, 1.004-1.062; P = .023), KT duration (odds ratio, 1.023; 95% CI, 1.004-1.044; P = .020), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level (odds ratio, 0.925; 95% CI, 0.872-0.982; P = .010) were the independent predictors of peripheral arterial stiffness in KT patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum fasting leptin level was positively associated with peripheral arterial stiffness among KT patients.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan; Department of Surgery, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan.
authors.forename: M-C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Y-C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan.
authors.forename: G-J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan.
authors.forename: M-H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Shih
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan.
authors.forename: K-C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan; Department of Nephrology, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan. Electronic address: gee.lily@msa.hinet.net.
authors.forename: B-G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Hsu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059289:Vascular Stiffness
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin