Fasting serum long-acting natriuretic peptide correlates with the ankle brachial index in renal transplant recipients

Objectives: Peripheral arterial diseases associated with an increased risk of death in kidney transplant patients. Natriuretic peptide has anti-atherosclerotic effects. We sought to evaluate the relation between ankle-brachial index and fasting serum long-acting natriuretic peptide concentrations in kidney transplant patients. Materials and Methods: Fasting blood samples were obtained from 69 kidney transplant patients. Serum long-acting natriuretic peptide concentrations were measured using a commercially available enzyme immunoassay kit. Left or right ankle-brachial index values that were < 0.9 were included in the low ankle-brachial index group. Results: Fifteen patients (21.7%) were enrolled in the low ankle-brachial index group. Increased waist circumference (P-.013), higher serum total cholesterol levels (P -.019), higher triglyceride levels (P -.002), and decreased serum long-acting natriuretic peptide concentrations (P -.006) were noted in the low ankle-brachial index group. Univariate linear regression analysis indicated that the left/right ankle-brachial index values of the subjects were negatively correlated with serum triglycerides (P -.008 or P <.001) and fasting glucose levels (P -.034 or P -.012), but were positively correlated with long-acting natriuretic peptide concentrations (P -.011 or P -.011). Multivariate forward stepwise linear regression analyses of the significant variables revealed that serum triglycerides and long-acting natriuretic peptide levels were independent predictors of the left/right anklebrachial index values of kidney transplant patients. Conclusions: Serum long-acting natriuretic peptide concentrations correlate positively with anklebrachial index values among the kidney transplant patients.