Serum Adipocyte Fatty Acid-Binding Protein Level is Negatively Associated with Vascular Reactivity Index Measured by Digital Thermal Monitoring in Kidney Transplant Patients.

Tai-Li Chen,Bang-Gee Hsu,Jen-Pi Tsai,Ching-Chung Ho,Ming-Che Lee

doi:10.3390/metabo9080159

Tai-Li Chen, Bang-Gee Hsu + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo9080159

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Journal: Metabolites	Publication Date: Jul 31, 2019
Citations: 8	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Tzu Chi University, Tzu Chi Foundation

Abstract

Adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (A-FABP) is abundantly found in mature adipocytes and is involved in cardiovascular disease. Our aim is to investigate the association between serum A-FABP levels and endothelial function among kidney transplant (KT) patients. Fasting blood samples were obtained from 80 KT patients. Serum A-FABP levels were measured using a commercially available enzyme immunoassay kit. Endothelial function and vascular reactivity index (VRI) were measured using digital thermal monitoring test. In this study, VRI < 1.0, VRI 1.0–1.9, and VRI ≥ 2.0 were defined as poor, intermediate, and good vascular reactivity, respectively. There were 12 (15.0%), 30 (37.5%), and 38 (47.5%) KT patients categorized as having poor, intermediate, and good vascular reactivity, respectively. Increased serum levels of alkaline phosphatase (p = 0.012), γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT; p = 0.032), and A-FABP (p < 0.001) were associated with decreased vascular reactivity. Multivariable forward stepwise linear regression analysis revealed that age (β = −0.283, adjusted R2 change = 0.072; p = 0.003) and serum log-A-FABP level (β = −0.514, adjusted R2 change = 0.268; p < 0.001) were significantly associated with VRI values in KT patients. We concluded that serum fasting A-FABP level is negatively associated with VRI values and plays a role in endothelial dysfunction of KT patients.

Highlights

The risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in patients with a functioning graft remains higher than that in the general population
Given that CVDs are a major cause of mortality in the kidney transplant (KT) population, and adipokines could play an important role, we aimed to examine risk factors for endothelial function measured by digital thermal monitoring test and the association between serum
There were no significant differences in sex, modes of transplantation, presence of diabetes mellitus (DM) or HTN, or the use of immunosuppression medications among the three vascular reactivity index (VRI) groups

Summary

Introduction

The risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in patients with a functioning graft remains higher than that in the general population. Despite recent improvements in techniques and medications for KT, endothelial dysfunction inevitably occurs in KT patients, with the endothelium being injured by ischemia–reperfusion, pharmacological agents, circulating inflammatory cells, cytokines, and antibodies [2]. Fatty acid-binding proteins (FABPs), a family of 14–15 kDa intracellular chaperones that bind to long-chain fatty acids and other lipids, were first identified in 1972 [7]. Adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (A-FABP) is a 14.6-kDa polypeptide with 132 amino acids, known as FABP4 or adipocyte P2; it is a member of the FABP family and is expressed in adipocytes, dendritic cells, and macrophages [8]. Previous reports demonstrated that an increase in circulating A-FABP level was associated with several metabolic disorders and CVDs, such as obesity, diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HTN), and cardiac dysfunction [10,11,12]

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