Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is common among kidney transplant patients. We studied the relationship between MetS, vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency and hypoadiponectinemia early posttransplantation and their impact on clinical outcomes. METHODS: Seventy-four previously nondiabetic kidney transplant patients were enrolled in a prospective cohort study between February and November 2008. Participants underwent a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test and had their plasma levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D), adiponectin, insulin, intact parathyroid hormone and lipids measured at 11 weeks posttransplantation. Clinical events including cardiovascular events, new-onset diabetes after transplantation, acute rejection, graft loss and death were recorded during the follow-up to December 2012. RESULTS: Thirty-four study patients (45.9%) had MetS. Patients with MetS had lower plasma concentrations of 25[OH]D (20.5 ± 7.2 vs. 24.8 ± 11.1 ng/ml, p = 0.049) and adiponectin (8.2 ± 4.5 vs. 14.6 ± 8.0 μg/ml, p < 0.0001) early on, and higher composite clinical event rate (61.8 vs. 27.5%, p = 0.003) during the follow-up. Multivariate analysis showed that the presence of MetS early after transplantation was independently associated with 25[OH]D deficiency/insufficiency (OR: 14.0, 95% CI: 1.8, 107.5; p = 0.011), depressed plasma adiponectin levels (β -6.39, r(2) 0.195, p < 0.0001) and increased risk for clinical events (OR: 5.6, 95% CI: 1.9, 16.5; p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Kidney transplant patients with MetS early after transplantation had lower levels of 25[OH]D and adiponectin, and unfavorable clinical outcomes.