title: Can Kidney Transplantation Improve Arterial Stiffness in End-Stage Renal Patients?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Arterial stiffness is associated with cardiovascular disease in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and after kidney transplantation. We examined how kidney transplantation influences brachial-ankle pulse-wave velocity (baPWV) in ESRD patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The prospective observational study enrolled 67 patients who underwent successful kidney transplantation. Serial baPWV and biochemical parameters were measured before surgery and 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after transplantation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  baPWV prior to kidney transplantation and 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after transplantation was 1533 ± 261 cm/s, 1417 ± 254 cm/s, 1414 ± 285 cm/s, and 1384 ± 233 cm/s, respectively. baPWV and biochemical parameters including alkaline phosphatase, intact parathyroid hormone, and 1,25 hydroxyvitamin D improved significantly at 6 months (P < .05), but there were no changes between 6 months and 2 years after transplantation. The majority of patients (73%) improved, whereas the remainder showed progression of baPWV after transplantation. Sixty-three percent of all kidney transplantation patients displayed higher baPWV than the healthy control subjects at 6 months after transplant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the majority of patients, baPWV improved soon after kidney transplantation but overall remained higher than in the generally healthy population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ro
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon, Korea. Electronic address: lhh90@gilhospital.com.
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000601:surgery*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010991:Plethysmography; D011446:Prospective Studies; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013997:Time Factors; D059289:Vascular Stiffness / Q000502:physiology*