Serum asymmetric dimethylarginine and endothelial function after renal transplantation

To investigate the relation between serum asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) level and endothelial function before and after living donor kidney transplantation in uremic patients.

A total of 38 renal transplant patients (21 males and 17 females) and 36 healthy controls (20 males and 16 females) were enrolled. Plasma ADMA, symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (SeGSHPx), C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured before transplantation and on Days 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 posttransplantation. The brachial artery flow mediated dilatation (FMD) was studied before transplantation and on the 28th day after the transplantation.

Serum levels of ADMA,SDMA,MDA and CRP were significantly increased, and the activities of nitric oxide (NO) and SeGSHPx were decreased in uremic patients compared with age matched healthy subjects (all P<0.01). Serum levels of ADMA,SDMA,MDA and CRP decreased while the activities of NO and SeGSHPx increased significantly at the first day after the transplantation (all P<0.01). The decrement of plasma SDMA normalized on the 28th day (P>0.05). The FMD was lower in the patients than the control group (P<0.01) and improved significantly on the 28th day of posttransplantation (P<0.05). Serum levels of ADMA were positively correlated with MDA (r=0.412, P<0.01;r=0.342,P<0.01) and negatively correlated with the values of SeGSHPx (r=-0.345, P<0.01;r=-0.315, P<0.01) and FMD (r=-0.452,P<0.01;r=-0.416,P<0.01) both before and after kidney transplantation.

The level of serum ADMA is associated with endothelial function improvement in uremic patients both before and after kidney transplantation.