Abstract

Background: Hypercholesterolemia is a frequent complication in lung transplant recipients but the mechanisms contributing to its development are not exactly known.
Material/Methods: Total cholesterol levels (Chol, [mmol/L]) as well as lipoproteins like HDL (mmol/L), LDL (mmol/L) and TG, (mmol/L) were  retrospectively analysed in 15 lung transplant recipients (2 women and 13 men, mean age 46.2±12.1, BMI 20.5±4.2) in various post-transplantation periods (early-eTP up to 30 days and long-lTP up to two years after LTx). Lipoproteins were estimated using routine enzyme/colorimetric method (Cobas-Integra).
Results: In eTP period mean cholesterol value was 4.57±0.37 (in 23% of patients values were above normal); HDL was 1.03±0.19 (in 30.8% values were decreased); mean LDL value was 2.8±0.36 (30.8% values above the normal); TG 2.26±0.66 were upregulated (in 61.5% patients upper than normal). Mean cholesterol in late period (lTP) was 4.01±0.53 (in 16.7% patients above normal); HDL 1.25±0.23 (in 8.3% of subjects values were down-regulated); LDL was 2.49±0.54 (16.7% of patients presented increased values); TG were 1.55±0.43 (33.3% of patients had upper values than normal). There were no differences in lipid disturbances between studied periods. There was no difference in lipids between tacrolimus and cyclosporine groups with an exception of total cholesterol (4.09±0.4 vs. 4.92±0.97 p<0.05; HDL 1.14±0.26 vs. 1.23±0.21 p>0.05; LDL 2.36±0.45 vs. 3.07±0.73 p>0.05; TG 1.48±0.47 vs. 2.25±0.57).
Conclusions: Clinically significant percentage of patients presented atherogenic constellation of lipoproteins -high TG, LDL and low HDL. It could also be
concluded that tacrolimus might be less atherogenic than cyclosporine.

Keywords: Lung Transplantation