title: Coronary artery calcification and large artery stiffness in renal transplant recipients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is an independent predictor of cardiovascular (CV) events in renal transplant recipients (RTR). Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), a non-invasive measure of large artery stiffness, also predicts CV events in RTR. The study investigated the relationship between CAC and PWV in RTR and assessed the performance of PWV measurement in predicting CAC.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was performed as cross-sectional analysis in 104 RTR. CAC was determined as total calcium score (CS) and calcium mass (CM). Carotid-femoral PWV was also measured. Sensitivity, specificity and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to assess the performance of PWV as diagnostic test for presence of CAC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CAC was found in 69% of participants. PWV was higher in RTR with CAC than in RTR without CAC (10.2±2.2 vs. 8.6±15; p<0.001). In univariate analysis CS was significantly correlated with age, duration of hypertension, waist circumference, PWV, hemoglobin concentration, and serum glucose. In multiple linear regression analysis CS was independently associated with age only, but not with PWV. Sensitivity and specificity of PWV>7.6m/s as cut-off for detecting CAC>0 was 0.889 and 0.406, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity of PWV>10.2m/s as cut-off for detecting severe CAC (CS>400) was 0.319 and 0.969, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study confirmed high prevalence of coronary artery calcification in renal transplant recipients. The study does not support the hypothesis that aortic stiffness is independently associated with coronary artery calcification in RTR. PWV measurement may be useful in excluding severe CAC in RTR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Hypertension and Internal Diseases, The Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Dr. Antoni Jurasz University Hospital No. 1, Bydgoszcz, Poland. Electronic address: st_pawel@cm.umk.pl.
authors.forename: Paweł
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stróżecki
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, The Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Dr. Antoni Jurasz University Hospital No. 1, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Zbigniew
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Serafin
authors.affiliation: Department of Transplantology and Surgery, The Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Dr. Antoni Jurasz University Hospital No. 1, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adamowicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Hypertension and Internal Diseases, The Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Dr. Antoni Jurasz University Hospital No. 1, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Mariusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Flisiński
authors.affiliation: Department of Transplantology and Surgery, The Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Dr. Antoni Jurasz University Hospital No. 1, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Zbigniew
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Włodarczyk
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Hypertension and Internal Diseases, The Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Dr. Antoni Jurasz University Hospital No. 1, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Manitius
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D061205:Vascular Calcification / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Arterial stiffness; Coronary artery calcification; Pulse wave velocity; Renal transplant