title: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cardiovascular risk in renal transplant recipients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Renal transplant recipients (RTRs) are at high risk for cardiovascular (CVD) mortality. Recently, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been recognized as a new risk factor for adverse CVD events in the general population. We examined whether transient elastography (TE) defined NAFLD was associated with atherosclerosis in RTRs, as measured by ultrasound in the carotid arteries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Carotid atherosclerosis was assesses in 71 RTRs with a TE proven NAFLD. With the help of TE liver stiffness was used to assess liver fibrosis and Controlled Attenuation Parameter (CAP) was used to detect and quantify liver steatosis. NAFLD was defined by the presence of steatosis with CAP values ≥238 dB.m(-1).
  
  
  RESULTS
  RTRs with NAFLD showed more carotid atherosclerosis than RTRs without NAFLD. RTRs-NAFLD patients had the mean intima-media measurements (ITM) of 1.1±0.1 mm and that was statistically significant higher than the mean ITM founded in RTRs without NAFLD (1.1±0.1 vs. 0.9±0.1 mm; p<0.0001). Furthermore, RTRs-NAFLD patients had statistically significant higher prevalence of plaques in comparison with RTRs without NAFLD (p=0.021).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We showed for the first time that carotid atherosclerosis is advanced in RTRs with NAFLD. Detection of NAFLD by TE should alert to the existence of an increased cardiovascular risk in RTRs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation University Hospital Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia.
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mikolasevic
authors.forename: Sanjin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Racki
authors.forename: Luka
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zaputovic
authors.forename: Vesna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lukenda
authors.forename: Branka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sladoje-Martinovic
authors.forename: Lidija
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Orlic
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D012307:Risk Factors