Inflammation and Oxidative Stress Markers and Their Relationship in Kidney Transplant Recipients

Objective: Inflammation and oxidative stress are the 2 well-known physiopathological processes involved in the onset and progression of atherosclerosis and can play role in the poor prognosis of kidney transplantation. However, there is no satisfactory evidence for their markers to be used for the diagnosis and/or follow-up of cardiovascular disease in daily practice. We aimed to investigate inflammation and oxidative stress markers in kidney transplant recipients long after transplantation. Methods: This study was carried out with 62 kidney transplant recipients (34 females and 28 males) who had received a successful transplant at least before 6 months. A group of 50 healthy individuals (28 females and 22 males) were selected as controls. Results: Homocysteine, advanced glycation end products, high sensitivity C-reactive protein, insulin-like growth factor-1, protein S-100B, and vitamin A levels were higher; vitamin E levels and paraoxonase and arylesterase activities were significantly lower in kidney transplant recipients. Conclusion: Kidney transplant recipients are exposed to inflammation and oxidative stress a long time after kidney transplantation. These processes initiated by the body in order to defend itself may damage the tissues after a certain stage, so further studies investigating treatment strategies for reducing inflammation and oxidative stress load and their effects on the prognosis of kidney transplant recipients are needed.