Objective: Recent studies found osteoprotegerin (OPG) is associated with increased pulse wave velocity and may reflect endothelial dysfunction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between fasting serum OPG levels and peripheral arterial stiffness among kidney transplant (KT) patients.

Patients and Methods: Fasting blood samples were obtained from 68 KT patients. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) was measured in the right or left brachial artery to the ankle segments using an automatic pulse wave analyzer (VaSera VS-1000). Serum OPG levels were measured using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. In this study, left or right baPWV values of > 14.0 m/s were used to define the peripheral arterial stiffness group.

Results: Peripheral arterial stiffness was higher in KT patients (35/68; 51.5%). Diabetes (p<0.001), hypertension (p=0.001), smoking (p=0.030), age (p=0.031), KT duration (p=0.006), systolic blood pressure (p<0.001), pulse pressure (p=0.001), total cholesterol (p=0.034), triglyceride (p=0.005), blood urea nitrogen (p=0.049), creatinine (p=0.043), and OPG (p<0.001) were higher in the high arterial stiffness group compared with the low arterial stiffness group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that OPG (odds ratio: 1.235, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.009-1.511, p=0.041), and KT duration (odds ratio: 1.026, 95% CI: 1.000-1.052, p=0.048) were independent predictors of arterial stiffness in hypertensive patients.

Conclusion: Serum fasting OPG level was positively associated with peripheral arterial stiffness among KT patients.

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