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Serum adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein level is associated with arterial stiffness quantified with cardio-ankle vascular index in kidney transplant patients

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Abstract

Background

Arterial stiffness is an established marker of cardiovascular risk and an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events and mortality in kidney transplant (KT) patients. Adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (A-FABP), a novel adipokine, is positively associated with atherosclerosis. The present study evaluated the relationship between fasting circulating A-FABP and peripheral arterial stiffness using the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) in KT patients.

Methods

Fasting blood samples were collected from 74 KT patients, and serum A-FABP levels were measured using an enzyme immunoassay. CAVI was calculated using a waveform device (CAVI-VaSera VS-1000). The cutoff values for high and low levels of arterial stiffness were defined by the CAVI values of ≥9 and <9, respectively.

Results

Thirty-four patients (45.9%) were classified into the high arterial stiffness group. Compared with the low arterial stiffness group, the high arterial stiffness group had higher values for age (p = 0.015), systolic blood pressure (p < 0.001), pulse pressure (p < 0.001), duration of kidney transplantation (p = 0.005), serum total cholesterol and triglyceride levels (p = 0.033 and 0.047, respectively), glomerular filtration rate (p = 0.019), fasting glucose levels (p = 0.012), and serum A-FABP levels (p < 0.001). Multivariate forward stepwise linear regression analysis showed that age (p = 0.004), systolic blood pressure (p = 0.001), and serum A-FABP levels (p = 0.003) were independent predictors of CAVI value in KT patients.

Conclusion

Serum fasting A-FABP level is positively associated with peripheral arterial stiffness in KT patients.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by a Grant from Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan (TCRD-101-06).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, No. 707, Section 3, Chung-Yang Road, Hualien, Taiwan

    Yen-Cheng Chen, Ching-Chun Ho, Guan-Jin Ho & Ming-Che Lee

  2. School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan

    Yen-Cheng Chen, Bang-Gee Hsu, Guan-Jin Ho & Ming-Che Lee

  3. Division of Nephrology, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan

    Bang-Gee Hsu

  4. Department of Nursing, Tzu Chi University of Science and Technology, Hualien, Taiwan

    Chung-Jen Lee

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  1. Yen-Cheng Chen
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Correspondence to Ming-Che Lee.

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The authors have declared that no conflict of interest exists.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee at which the studies were conducted (IRB approval number 100-91) and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Chen, YC., Hsu, BG., Lee, CJ. et al. Serum adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein level is associated with arterial stiffness quantified with cardio-ankle vascular index in kidney transplant patients. Clin Exp Nephrol 22, 188–195 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10157-017-1438-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10157-017-1438-1

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