Martina Pavletić-Peršić

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; a part of the metabolic syndrome in the renal transplant recipient and possible cause of an allograft dysfunction

Despite all improvements in transplant medicine, renal transplant recipients have a high risk for cardiovascular mortality. A high prevalence of cardiovascular complications in renal transplant recipients (RTR) is explained by cardiovascular risk factors present before transplantation, in addition to the development of new risk factors as well as worsening of preexisting risk factors after transplantation. A majority ot these patients develop metabolic syndrome within a year after the transplantation. The metabolic syndrome (MS) is associated with impaired renal allograft function and increased insulin resistance. Non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents a liver manifestation of metabolic syndrome and it development is strongly associated with all components of MS in general population. The current importance of NAFLD and its link to the MS has encouraged an interest in its possible role in the development of atherosclerosis in recent years. Considering the fact that all components of MS are more common among renal transplant recipients compared to general population, it would be expected that RTR may have a much higher incidence of NAFLD compared to general population. We propose that the presence of NAFLD in RTR could be a strong predictor in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Also, according to the recent investigations about the possible link between NAFLD and chronic kidney disease, we hypothesis that NAFLD may be associated with deteriorating graft function, causing a chronic allograft nephropathy and graft loss. Common factors underlying the pathogenesis of NAFLD and chronic allograft dysfunction may be insulin resistance, oxidative stress, activation of rennin-angiotensin system, and inappropriate secretion of inflammatory cytokines by steatotic and inflamed liver.

Nonalcoholic Fatty liver disease in renal transplant recipients proven by transient elastography

BACKGROUND The increasing recognition of the importance of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its strong association with the metabolic syndrome has stimulated interest in the putative role of NAFLD in the development and progression of cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, recent studies investigated the association of NAFLD and chronic kidney disease. We analyzed the incidence of NAFLD diagnosed by transient elastography (TE) in renal transplant recipients (RTRs). We also assessed whether TE-defined NAFLD is associated with decreased graft function in RTRs. METHODS Our study included 73 RTRs with a functioning graft for more than 1 year. Liver stiffness was used to assess liver fibrosis and the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) was used to detect and quantify liver steatosis by using TE (Fibroscan, Echosense, Paris, France). Therefore, with CAP being implemented on TE, both steatosis and fibrosis could be evaluated simultaneously. According to this evaluation, NAFLD was defined by the presence of steatosis with CAP values ≥ 238 dB.m(-1) regardless of presence or absence of any stage of fibrosis. RESULTS According to the TE findings, NAFLD was present in 57.5% of RTRs. We have found that the severity of liver steatosis was positively correlated with serum creatinine levels (r = 0.664; P < .0001) and negatively correlated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR; r = -0.692; P < .0001) levels. The severity of liver fibrosis was positively correlated with the serum creatinine, serum iron, and C-reactive protein levels indicating a more severe form of NAFLD in those patients. None of the investigated liver tests showed any differences between those RTR patients who had NAFLD compared to those without NAFLD. CONCLUSION Our results showed that RTRs have high prevalence of TE-defined NAFLD which possibly contributes to graft dysfunction. Measuring aminotransferase levels would not be a useful tool for NAFLD detection in RTRs. Our study showed the value of TE as an effective, noninvasive screening method for the diagnosis of NAFLD in RTRs.

Kidney Complications Due to Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation-A Disorder of an Increasing Incidence?

Abstract Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is becoming an increasingly popular treatment considering that it is the only curative option for many malignant and non-malignant diseases. Many patients treated in this way have been followed for two or three decades post-transplant and are presumed to be cured. But, on the other hand, a great proportion of these patients are experiencing long-term side effects after HSCT, including non-malignant organ or tissue dysfunction, changes in quality of life, infections and secondary malignancy. Renal complications caused by HSCT are high and are associated with the development of both acute and chronic kidney failure. So, considering the increasing numbers of HSCT survivors many years after the transplantation, chronic kidney disease due to HSCT is becoming a growing problem and represents a new population of patients who are presented to nephrologists. The three most common forms of chronic kidney disease related to HSCT are: chronic calcineurin nephrotoxicity, glomerular disease after HSCT and HSCT associated thrombotic microangiopathy.