REDEFINING THE TYPE 4 CARDIORENAL SYNDROME: Long-term cardiac reverse
remodeling after kidney transplantation
Abstract
Introduction The currently available evidence states that 12
months after kidney transplantation (KT), more than half of the patients
have severe cardiac structural and functional abnormalities.
Objective To assess the cardiac reverse remodeling using
echocardiography in the long-term after KT and its association with
fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23), carboxy-terminal propeptide of
procollagen type I (PIP), and parathyroid hormone (PTH).
Methods Fifty-three patients with end-stage renal disease were
assessed before and 28 months after KT by echocardiography and serum
quantification of FGF-23, PIP, and PTH. Results Thirty men and
23 women, with a mean age of 34±11 years, were included in the study. At
28 months after KT, an increase in functional capacity, complete
resolution of the left ventricle (LV) hypertrophy (LV mass:121 ± 48 vs.
65 ± 14 gr/m2), reduction in left atrial volume (46 vs. 30 ml/m2),
improvement in LV ejection fraction (53 vs. 63 %), global longitudinal
strain (-15.9 vs.-19.4 %), and diastolic function were observed.
Multivariate analysis showed that pre-KT LV mass, graft function,
hypertension, and post-KT PIP predicted post-KT LV mass (R2=0.65,
F=12.1, p=0.001). Logistic regression showed that the pre-KT FGF-23
concentration was the only variable related to hypertension after KT
(X2=12.1, R2=0.3, p=0.032). PTH levels were not associated with LV
hypertrophy. Conclusions Long-term follow-up after KT
demonstrated that type 4 cardiorenal syndrome is reversible. Myocardial
interstitial expansion is a minor component of absolute LV mass and is
dominated by cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. FGF-23 plays an important role
in persistent hypertension after KT.