Serum vanin-1 levels in renal transplant patients.

OBJECTIVES Vascular noninflammatory molecule 1 is a plasma membrane enzyme, also known as pantetheinase. It has been shown that vascular noninflammatory molecule 1 urinary and serum concentrations of vascular noninflammatory molecule 1 increase in nephrotoxicant-induced renal injury before classic markers. Tacrolimus and cyclosporine used as immunosuppressive agents are nephrotoxic drugs. This study sought to investigate alterations of vascular noninflammatory molecule 1 levels after a kidney transplant. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study included 28 renal allograft recipients without acute rejection. Before transplant, and the first and sixth months after the transplant, vascular noninflammatory molecule 1 and creatinine levels were measured in renal transplant recipients using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and spectrophotometric methods. RESULTS During the first month after transplant, we observed a significant increase in vascular noninflammatory molecule 1 levels compared with previous levels (P < .0001). Also, during the sixth month, vascular noninflammatory molecule 1 levels were higher than values previously taken (P < .01), although they were lower compared with the first month values (P = .004). No correlation was found between vascular noninflammatory molecule 1 and creatinine before transplant or during the first and sixth months after transplant. When the patients were divided into subgroups according to the immunosuppressive drugs used, in tacrolimus-treated patients, serum vascular noninflammatory molecule 1 levels were no different from the cyclosporine-administered levels measured at 3 different times. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that serum vascular noninflammatory molecule 1 levels may be low in the end-stage renal failure and transiently increase after transplant owing to transient renal function deterioration, which does not lead to elevation of serum creatinine levels in renal transplant patients.