DOI: 10.1177/1522162802005003015 © 2002 SAGE Publications Markers of Atherogenesis in Patients with Chronic Rejection of Renal Allografts
Patients with renal insufficiency are thought to be at higher risk for atherosclerotic complications, and pathogenesis of chronic kidney transplant rejection resembles, in some aspects, atherogenesis. In the present study, the authors evaluated risk factors for atherogenesis in patients with biopsy-proven chronic rejection and compared them with matched groups of transplant recipients without rejection and healthy Caucasians. Patients with chronic rejection had higher -1-acid glycoprotein and fibrinogen, as well as soluble P-selectin concentration in the peripheral blood, as compared with patients with normal graft function. Surprisingly, the authors found no differences in E-selectin and ICAM-1. Moreover, they found patients with normal renal graft function to have higher acute phase proteins and P-selectin levels as compared with healthy persons. In conclusion, kidney transplant recipients are at increased risk for atherogenesis. Soluble P-selectin and acute phase proteins can be used for atherogenesis and/or chronic rejection monitoring in such patients.
Key Words: renal transplantation chronic rejection P-selectin fibrinogen -1 acid glycoprotein
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