Serum adiponectin is a negative predictor of central arterial stiffness in kidney transplant patients

Background The role of adiponectin in arterial stiffness and its relationship to cardiovascular disease is not fully demonstrated and needs further elaboration. In this study, the association between adiponectin level and arterial stiffness is studied among kidney transplant patients. Material and methods Anthropometric data and biochemical data including fasting glucose, lipid profile, renal function and serum adiponectin were determined in 55 kidney transplant patients. Central arterial stiffness was measured and presented by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity. Results Univariate linear analysis showed that body weight, waist circumference, brachial pulse pressure and body mass index were correlated positively with carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity in this patient group. However, logarithmically transformed adiponectin level (log-adiponectin) correlated negatively with carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity. In multivariate regression analysis of factors significantly associated with carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, it showed that both log-adiponectin (β = -0.427; R² = 0.205, p = 0.001) and body weight (β = 0.327; R²=0.106, p = 0.007) were independently predictive of central arterial stiffness. Conclusion Our study suggests that fasting serum adiponectin is negatively associated with carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, hence arterial stiffness, in kidney transplant patients.