Change of Body Composition Analyzed by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) in Renal Transplant Recipients / 대한신장학회지

PURPOSE: To investigate the changes of body fluid status after kidney transplantation (KT) and to find out the associated factors. METHODS: Forty-five patients who had received KT were classified into hemodialysis (n=32), peritoneal dialysis (n=5), and preemptive (n=8) groups by dialysis modality. %TBW, %ECF, %ICF, and edema index which were examined by bioelectrical impedance analysis as well as clinical parameters were prospectively measured before KT and 1st month, 3rd month, 6th month after KT. RESULTS: Before KT, there were no significant differences in all of the parameters listed above among the three groups. Mean %TBW and %ICF were not different compared to those of before KT. In contrast, mean %ECF markedly decreased within 1st month (before KT 21.13+/-3.04 L/kg, 1st month 20.03+/-2.37 L/kg, 3rd month 19.61+/-2.18 L/kg, 6th month 18.32+/-5.02 L/kg: p=0.007, p<0.001, p=0.001, respectively). Edema index also decreased from 1st month (1st month 0.354+/-0.014, 3rd month 0.352+/-0.011, 6th month 0.348+/-0.014: p=0.016, p=0.012, respectively). Only edema index was higher at 1st and 3rd month in hemodialysis group. Serum creatinine and 24 hour urine total protein were positively correlated with %ECF at 1st and 3rd month, and with %TBW at 3rd month. CONCLUSION: The recovery of body water distribution after KT starts with reduction of ECF within the 1st month. Serum creatinine and proteinuria are related to the recovery. No significant difference according to dialysis modality was found. Further study with larger sample size is necessary to confirm these findings.

Association of Transforming Growth Factor-beta1 and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Gene Polymorphisms with Chronic Allograft Nephropathy and Graft Survival in Korean Renal Transplant Recipients / 대한신장학회지

PURPOSE: Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) has been associated with the promotion of renal allograft interstitial fibrosis and thereby chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN). Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been shown to contribute to cytoprotection of the graft after kidney transplantation. We investigated the influence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the TGF-beta1 (C-509T and T869C) and the VEGF gene (C-2578A and C405G) on graft survival and the development of CAN. METHODS: Genotyping was carried out using a real-time polymerase chain reaction which was performed on the LightCycler480 in 221 Korean renal transplant recipients and 148 healthy controls. According to the presence of CAN or chronic calcineurin inhibitor nephrotoxicity, the recipients were separated into the CAN (n=21) and the No CAN (n=200) groups. RESULTS: The genotype frequencies of the SNPs were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The distributions of genotypes and alleles did not differ between recipients and controls. No significant differences were observed in the genotype distributions and allele frequencies between the CAN and the No CAN groups. The frequencies of haplotypes were not significantly different between the two groups, either. There were no statistically significant effects of TGF-beta1 and VEGF gene polymorphisms on graft survival. CONCLUSION: This study did not show any statistically significant effects of four selected SNPs of the TGF-beta1 and the VEGF genes on the development of CAN and graft survival in Korean renal transplant recipients.

Reappraisal of the predictive factors for postoperative pulmonary complications after general anesthesia / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND: As our population in Korea ages, more postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) have recently developed. There have been several studies about the predictive factors for PPC, but any consensus has not been established. In this study, we reappraised the predictive factors for PPC after general anesthesia in a population from Gyeong-ju, which was composed of elderly people. METHODS: We retrospectively investigated the incidence and predictive factors for PPC in 84 patients who underwent general anesthesia. We investigated gender, age, height, weight, BMI, smoking, underlying disease, underlying respiratory disease, malignancy, the laboratory findings (hemoglobin, albumin, arterial O2 saturation) and the pulmonary function tests of the patients. RESULTS: 84 patients were initially enrolled into the study, and PPC developed in 31 (36%) patients. The mean age of the enrolled patients was 66.515.1 years-old, so it shows the trend of an aging society. Three predictive factors were revealed that are independently associated with the PPC: site of operation (OR, 8.3), underlying disease (OR, 9.9) and serum albumin (OR, 4.0). CONCLUSIONS: Among the statistically meaningful predictive factors, underlying disease and operation site are well known from previous studies, but the albumin level<3.5 g/dL is also meaningful, which is higher than the previous reference level. It implies that the patient with a albumin level 3.0~3.5 g/dL can be classified into the high risk group. Therefore, we should recognize that it is necessary to apply more strict reference levels in an aging population to reduce the incidence of PPC.

Comparison of Cardiovascular Risk Profiles and Graft Function between Cyclosporin A-based and Tacrolimus-based Immunosuppression in Renal Transplant Recipients / 대한신장학회지

PURPOSE: Tacrolimus (TAC) may be less unfavorable than cyclosporin A (CsA) on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in renal transplant recipients, but well controlled studies are insufficient. METHODS: In this prospective randomized controlled study, fifty seven consecutive renal transplant recipients were treated with CsA-based (CsA, MMF and steroid, CsA group: n=27) or TAC-based (TAC, MMF and steroid, TAC group: n=30) immunosuppressive regimens by randomized ratio of 1:1. In the baseline (pre-operation), 1, 3, and 6 months after transplantation, several cardiovascular risk factors and graft function were evaluated. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the renal function, glucose regulation, the incidence of acute rejection and post-transplant diabetes mellitus for the post-transplant 6 months between the two groups. The blood pressure of the CsA group was maintained higher than TAC group through 6 months after transplantation even though the number of antihypertensive drugs in the CsA group was significantly higher at 3 and 6 month after transplantation. The lipid profiles except oxidized LDL were similar, but oxidized LDL level was significantly higher for the post-transplant 6 months in the CsA group (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in levels of fibrinogen, PAI-I, t-PA, hs-CRP, homocysteine, spot urine TGF-beta a and beta ig-h3, but the uric acid level was significantly higher in the CsA group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that TAC tends to have a beneficial effect on cardiovascular risk profiles, with regard to BP and atherogenic properties of serum lipids in early post-transplant period.