title: Midterm echocardiographic follow-up of cardiac function after living kidney donation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Living kidney donation (LKD) has become increasingly important as more patients reach end-stage renal disease. While safety of the donor is of utmost importance, recent data have suggested an increased risk for cardiovascular mortality after LKD. Therefore, we assessed the changes of cardiac structure and function after LKD by advanced echocardiographic methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  30 living kidney donors were evaluated by medical examination, laboratory testing, and echocardiography before and after LKD (median follow-up 19.5 months). Left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) function was assessed by echocardiographic standard indices. Longitudinal 2D strain of the LV and left atrium (LA) was determined by 2D speckle tracking.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum creatinine increased significantly from 0.80 ± 0.12 mg/dL to 1.18 ± 0.21 mg/ dL (p < 0.001) after LKD. There was a trend to higher blood pressure after LKD, accompanied with significantly higher intake of antihypertensive drugs. Echocardiographic parameters of LV, LA, and RV function did not change significantly after LKD. N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels remained within normal ranges after LKD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The rise in serum creatinine and blood pressure indicates that patients have a potentially higher cardiac risk after LKD. However, our pilot study found no evidence for detrimental effects of LKD on cardiac structure and function within a relatively short-term follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik mit Schwerpunkt Kardiologie und Angiologie, and Medizinische Klinik für Nephrologie, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hewing
authors.forename: Henryk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dreger
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Knebel
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Spethmann
authors.forename: Wolfram C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Poller
authors.forename: Anna Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Dehn
authors.forename: Hans-H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Neumayer
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Waiser
authors.forename: Klemens
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Budde
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Halleck
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood; D009392:Nephrectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left; D016278:Ventricular Function, Right
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D003404:Creatinine