BACKGROUND: An increase in the number of circulating endothelial cells (CEC) indicates endothelial damage and the risk of cardiovascular disease. The aim of our study was to investigate the association of CEC with various clinical parameters in pediatric renal transplant recipients. METHODS: CEC, defined as CD45(-)CD146(+), were enumerated by flow cytometry from the peripheral blood of 50 pediatric renal transplant recipients and 20 healthy controls. Clinical parameters, including renal function tests, fasting blood glucose, serum cholesterol and triglyceride, cyclosporine A (CsA) (trough and 2nd-hour) and tacrolimus (tac) trough blood levels and their association with CEC numbers were analyzed. RESULTS: CEC numbers of patients were higher than those of controls (respectively, 128 ± 89 cells/ml (42-468 cells/ml), 82 ± 33 cells/ml (32-137 cells/ml), p = 0.024). There was a statistically significant negative correlation between CEC numbers and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (r = -0.300, p = 0.012). There was also a statistically positive association between CEC numbers and transplant duration as well as cyclosporine trough level (respectively, r = 0.397, p = 0.004, r = 0.714, p = 0.004). CEC numbers in patients on tac and CsA were similar (p = 0.716). CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that renal transplant recipients with high CsA trough blood level, longer transplant duration, and lower GFR, are at greater risk of developing endothelial damage.
BACKGROUND: An increase in the number of circulating endothelial cells (CEC) indicates endothelial damage and the risk of cardiovascular disease. The aim of our study was to investigate the association of CEC with various clinical parameters in pediatric renal transplant recipients. METHODS: CEC, defined as CD45(-)CD146(+), were enumerated by flow cytometry from the peripheral blood of 50 pediatric renal transplant recipients and 20 healthy controls. Clinical parameters, including renal function tests, fasting blood glucose, serum cholesterol and triglyceride, cyclosporine A (CsA) (trough and 2nd-hour) and tacrolimus (tac) trough blood levels and their association with CEC numbers were analyzed. RESULTS: CEC numbers of patients were higher than those of controls (respectively, 128 ± 89 cells/ml (42-468 cells/ml), 82 ± 33 cells/ml (32-137 cells/ml), p = 0.024). There was a statistically significant negative correlation between CEC numbers and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (r = -0.300, p = 0.012). There was also a statistically positive association between CEC numbers and transplant duration as well as cyclosporine trough level (respectively, r = 0.397, p = 0.004, r = 0.714, p = 0.004). CEC numbers in patients on tac and CsA were similar (p = 0.716). CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that renal transplant recipients with high CsA trough blood level, longer transplant duration, and lower GFR, are at greater risk of developing endothelial damage.
Authors: Manuel Pascual; Tom Theruvath; Tatsuo Kawai; Nina Tolkoff-Rubin; A Benedict Cosimi Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 2002-02-21 Impact factor: 91.245
Authors: Alexander Woywodt; Maik Schroeder; Michael Mengel; Anke Schwarz; Wilfried Gwinner; Hermann Haller; Marion Haubitz Journal: Hypertension Date: 2003-01-20 Impact factor: 10.190
Authors: P Collins; M Wilkie; K Razak; S Abbot; S Harley; C Bax; M Zaidi; D Blake; J Cunningham; A Newland Journal: Transplantation Date: 1993-11 Impact factor: 4.939
Authors: Mark J Sarnak; Andrew S Levey; Anton C Schoolwerth; Josef Coresh; Bruce Culleton; L Lee Hamm; Peter A McCullough; Bertram L Kasiske; Ellie Kelepouris; Michael J Klag; Patrick Parfrey; Marc Pfeffer; Leopoldo Raij; David J Spinosa; Peter W Wilson Journal: Circulation Date: 2003-10-28 Impact factor: 29.690