Impact of Kidney Transplantation on Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress and Inflammation.

INTRODUCTION Hemodialysis patients face oxidative stress and inflammation induced by both kidney dysfunction and hemodialysis procedure. These are supposed to be partly responsible for the excessive cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in hemodialysis patients. We investigated the impact of kidney transplantation on the biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation. MATERIALS AND METHODS In a prospective cohort study on 32 kidney transplant candidates on hemodialysis, biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation were compared before and 3 months after kidney transplantation and were compared with each other as well as their values in the kidney allograft donors as the controls. These biomarkers included total antioxidant capacity, total thiol molecules, lipid peroxidation, plasma catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and C-reactive protein. RESULTS The mean age of the patients was 38.0 ± 15.5 years. The levels of total antioxidant capacity, total thiol molecules, and activity of glutathione peroxidase were significantly lower and the level of activity of plasma superoxide dismutase was significantly higher in the hemodialysis patients before transplantation as compared to the values for the controls and after transplantation. Lipid peroxidation was significantly higher in the patients before transplantation compared to the controls. A significantly higher level of C-reactive protein was noted in the hemodialysis patients as compared to their levels after transplantation and also C-reactive protein in the controls. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that oxidative stress and inflammation are elevated in hemodialysis patients which could be improved partly and significantly by restoration of kidney function after kidney transplantation.