Serum osteoprotegerin levels associated with the aortic augmentation index in renal transplant recipients

Hyperleptinemia is associated with the aortic augmentation index in kidney transplant recipients

Objective

Increased circulating leptin, a marker of leptin resistance, is common in patients with obesity and is also an independent factor in prediction of cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between fasting serum leptin levels and the aortic augmentation index (AIx) in kidney transplant recipients.

Materials and Methods

Fasting blood samples were obtained from 70 kidney transplant recipients. The aortic AIx was measured using a validated tonometry system (SphygmoCor). Plasma leptin levels were measured using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit.

Results

Simple linear analysis of the aortic AIx in kidney transplant recipients showed that body fat mass (P = 0.002), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (P = 0.020), logarithmically transformed triglycerides (P = 0.035), and leptin (P < 0.001) were positively correlated, while height (P = 0.004) and the glomerular filtration rate (P = 0.022) were negatively correlated with the aortic AIx in kidney transplant recipients. Forward stepwise linear regression analysis of the factors significantly associated with the aortic AIx showed that leptin (P < 0.001), DBP (P = 0.014), and body height (P = 0.036) were independent predictors of the aortic AIx in kidney transplant recipients.

Conclusion

These results suggest that the serum fasting leptin level is associated with the aortic AIx in kidney transplant recipients.

Positive correlation of the serum angiopoietin-like protein 3 levels with the aortic augmentation index in patients with coronary artery disease

Purpose

Angiopoietin-like protein 3 (ANGPTL3) plays an important role in lipid metabolism and angiogenesis and is elevated in familial hypercholesterolemia, metabolic syndrome, and insulin resistance. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between the fasting serum ANGPTL3 levels and the aortic augmentation index (AIx) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Materials and methods

Fasting blood samples were obtained from 100 patients with CAD. The AIx was measured using a validated tonometry system (SphygmoCor). The serum ANGPTL3 levels were assessed using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit.

Results

The aortic AIx values were higher in female patients with CAD (P=0.003) than those in male patients with CAD. The univariate linear analysis of the aortic AIx values reveals that the height (r=−0.363; P<0.001) and body weight (r=−0.350; P<0.001) were negatively correlated, whereas the age (r=0.202; P=0.044) and logarithmically transformed ANGPTL3 (log-ANGPTL3, r=0.357; P<0.001) were positively correlated with the aortic AIx values in patients with CAD. The multivariate forward stepwise linear regression analysis of the factors significantly associated with the aortic AIx revealed that the height (β=−0.269; adjusted R² change=0.123; P=0.007) and serum log-ANGPTL3 level (β=0.259; adjusted R² change=0.051; P=0.010) were independent predictors of the aortic AIx values in patients with CAD.

Conclusion

The fasting serum ANGPTL3 level positively correlated with the aortic AIx values among patients with CAD.