Abstract
Background: In obese renal transplant recipients, we assessed the course of selected proinflammatory factors liable to influence long-term outcomes of transplant patients and kidney grafts. Methods: In a prospective cohort study, we examined a total of 140 renal transplant recipients for a period of 12 months.
Based on body mass index (BMI), patients were divided into Group I (BMI >=30 kg/m2, 68 patients) and Group II (BMI <=30 kg/m2, 72 patients). Results: Twelve months after renal transplantation, significant differences were found between Group I versus Group II in plasma levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) (3.65 [SD +- 0.47 μmol/L] versus 2.01 [SD +- 0.36 μmol/L], P < .01), adiponectin (ADPN) (15.4 [SD +- 6.6 μg/mL] versus 22.3 [SD +- 8.2 μg/mL], P < .01), leptin (51.3 [SD +- 11.2 ng/L] versus 21.3 [SD +- 9.2 ng/L], P < .01), soluble leptin receptor (24.6 [SD +- 8.4 U/mL] versus 46.1 [SD +- 11.4 U/mL], P < .01), resistin (20.8 [SD +- 10.1 μg/mL] versus 14.6 [SD +- 6.4 μg/mL], P < .025), and triglycerides (3.9 [SD +- 1.6] versus mmol/L 2.8 [SD +- 1.6 mmol/L], P < .01).
There were significant correlations between ADMA and BMI (r = 0.520; P < .001), and ADPN and BMI (r = -0.570, P < .001). The correlation between ADMA and inulin clearance (Cin) was weak (r = -0.185, P < .05).
Conclusions: Obesity after renal transplantation is associated with increased ADMA and decreased ADPN in plasma, and this may represent a risk factor for renal transplant recipients.