15 June 2018 : Original article
A Pilot Trial to Examine the Changes in Carotid Arterial Inflammation in Renal Transplant Recipients as Assessed by 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography (PET/CT)
Hye Eun Yoon12BCDEF, Yaeni Kim12BCDEF, Sang Dong Kim3BCF, Jin Kyoung Oh4BCDEF, Yong-An Chung4BCDEF, Seok Joon Shin12BCDEF, Chul Woo Yang25BCDEF, Suk Min Seo6ABCDEFG*DOI: 10.12659/AOT.909212
Ann Transplant 2018; 23:412-421
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Inflammatory activity of the artery can be assessed by measuring 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) uptake with positron emission tomography computed tomography (PET/CT). Improvement in vascular function after renal transplantation has been reported, but no studies have used 18F-FDG PET/CT to examine the changes in vascular inflammation. This study investigated the changes in the inflammatory activity in the carotid artery after renal transplantation in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
MATERIAL AND METHODS: 18F-FDG PET/CT was performed before and at 4 months after transplantation. We quantified 18F-FDG uptake as the target-to-background ratio (TBR) in the carotid artery in 10 CKD patients. TBR was evaluated in the whole carotid artery (WH) and most-diseased segment (MDS), and the mean and maximum values were analyzed. The concentrations of inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, and endothelin-1, were measured.
RESULTS: Eight patients showed a decrease in mean or maximum TBR. The average mean or maximum TBRs in the WH and MDS of the right and left arteries were all reduced after transplantation. The average mean TBR for the right WH decreased significantly (% reduction [95% CI]) by –5.74% [–15.37, –0.02] (p=0.047). TBRs did not correlate significantly with cytokine concentrations. The changes in cytokine concentrations after transplantation varied.
CONCLUSIONS: 18F-FDG uptake by the WH and MDS tended to reduce after renal transplantation. Therefore, renal transplantation may confer an anti-inflammatory effect on carotid atherosclerosis in patients with CKD; however, this effect is not large enough to be demonstrated in this study with small sample size.
Keywords: atherosclerosis, Carotid Artery Diseases, Fluorodeoxyglucose F18, Kidney Transplantation, Positron-Emission Tomography, Renal Insufficiency, Chronic
740 3
In Press
17 May 2023 : Original article
Results of Liver Retransplantation After Rescue Hepatectomy: A Single-Center StudyAnn Transplant In Press; DOI: 10.12659/AOT.939557
10 May 2023 : Original article
Incidence of Thromboembolic Complications Following Kidney Transplantation with Short and Extended Aspirin ...Ann Transplant In Press; DOI: 10.12659/AOT.939143
Most Viewed Current Articles
24 Aug 2021 : Review article
Normothermic Machine Perfusion (NMP) of the Liver – Current Status and Future PerspectivesDOI :10.12659/AOT.931664
Ann Transplant 2021; 26:e931664
26 Jan 2022 : Review article
Recurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Liver Transplantation: Risk Factors and Predictive ModelsDOI :10.12659/AOT.934924
Ann Transplant 2022; 27:e934924
29 Dec 2021 : Original article
Efficacy and Safety of Tacrolimus-Based Maintenance Regimens in De Novo Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Sys...DOI :10.12659/AOT.933588
Ann Transplant 2021; 26:e933588
15 Mar 2022 : Case report
Combined Liver, Pancreas-Duodenum, and Kidney Transplantation for Patients with Hepatitis B Cirrhosis, Urem...DOI :10.12659/AOT.935860
Ann Transplant 2022; 27:e935860