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Decrease in lipoprotein(a) after renal transplantation is related to the glucocorticoid dose
Author(s) -
AHSEN N. VON,
HELMHOLD M.,
EISENHAUER T.,
ARMSTRONG V. W.,
OELLERICH M.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
european journal of clinical investigation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.164
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1365-2362
pISSN - 0014-2972
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2362.1996.tb02151.x
Subject(s) - transplantation , lipoprotein(a) , medicine , prednisone , azathioprine , glucocorticoid , endocrinology , lipoprotein , kidney transplantation , apolipoprotein b , gastroenterology , cholesterol , disease
. Serum lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] concentrations and apolipoprotein(a) phenotypes were determined in 46 patients with end‐stage renal disease both before as well as 1 week and 1, 3 and 6 months after renal transplantation. Immunosuppressive therapy consisted of cyclosporin A, prednisone and azathioprine. Before transplantation median Lp(a) levels did not differ between the patients and a healthy control group. A highly significant decrease ( P <0.001) in Lp(a) levels was observed in both male and female patients 1 week after transplantation. This marked reduction in Lp(a) occurred at a time when patients were receiving the highest doses of corticosteroids. As steroid doses were gradually tapered. Lp(a) concentrations subsequently increased, although at 6 months levels were still significantly reduced ( P <0.01) in women. No significant correlation was observed between Lp(a) and whole‐blood cyclosporin levels, nor was there any correlation with the azathioprine dose. The reduction in Lp(a) concentrations was seen for all apo(a) phenotypes observed in the study.