Antioxidant capacity in renal transplant patients.

The aim of the study was to analyse the relation between total antioxidant capacity and immunosuppressive therapies, renal function and hematocrit in kidney transplant patients. The study included 46 adult patients during the maintenance period (>1 year) following renal transplantation, treated with different combinations of immunosuppressive agents--most commonly with cyclosporine (n = 23) or tacrolimus (n = 15). The total antioxidant capacity (TAOC) of plasma was measured using Trolox-equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assay. Patients treated with cyclosporine had significantly greater TAOC compared with those treated with tacrolimus (1.16 +/- 0.46 mmol/L vs. 0.80 +/- 0.37 mmol/L, p = 0.018, respectively). There was a significantly negative correlation between TAOC and plasma creatinine (rs = -0.551, p = 0.033) and a positive correlation between TAOC and creatinine clearance or hematocrit in patients treated with tacrolimus but not with cyclosporine (r = 0.525, p = 0.045 or rs = 0.629, p = 0.012, respectively). Immunosuppressive therapy with cyclosporine was associated with higher TAOC. Anemia can be an independent risk factor for an increase of oxidative stress. Although subject numbers werelimited, TAOC was positively associated with renal function in patients treated with tacrolimus.