Kidney Research and Clinical Practice (Jun 2012)

IS OBESITY ASSOCIATED WITH ANAEMIA IN KIDNEY TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS

  • Winnie Chan,
  • Douglas Ward,
  • Okdeep Kaur,
  • Chris Tselepis,
  • David Jones,
  • Jos Bosch,
  • Richard Borrows

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.krcp.2012.04.350
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 31, no. 2
p. A22

Abstract

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Anaemia post renal transplantation is common and multi-factorial. Obesity is widespread following transplantation, and is characterised by chronic low-grade inflammation. Obesity-related inflammation may be associated with raised hepcidin leading to anaemia by dysregulation of iron homeostasis. This cross-sectional study aims to evaluate the associations between obesity, inflammation, hepcidin and anaemia. Ninety patients, at least 1 year post renal transplant, were recruited. Gender: 54% male and 46% female. Mean age: 51 years. Obesity was evaluated using Body Mass Index (BMI), Neck Circumference (NC), Waist Circumference (WC), Waist-Hip Ratio (WHR), Triceps Skinfold Thickness (TST), and bio-impedance measurements of Fat Tissue Index (FTI), Fat Mass (FM) and % Body Fat (%BF). C-Reactive Protein (CRP), Albumin (Alb), Haemoglobin (Hb), Iron (Fe), Transferrin Saturation (TSAT), and Ferritin (Ferr) were measured by standard laboratory methods. Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) was estimated using MDRD formula. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum hepcidin-25 levels were determined by mass spectrometry. Mean Hb=12.8±1.9 g/dl for males, and 12.1±1.4 g/dl for females. Mean eGFR=43±18 mL/min. FM correlated significantly with CRP (r=0.25, p<0.05). %BF correlated significantly with IL-6 (r=0.31, p<0.05). IL-6 correlated significantly with hepcidin (r=0.53, p<0.01). Hepcidin correlated significantly with Hb (r=−0.25, p<0.05), but such correlation disappeared when adjusted for eGFR. Alb, CRP and IL-6 did not correlate with Hb, Fe, TSAT and Ferr. Hepcidin did not correlate with Fe, TSAT, and Ferr. BMI, NC, WC, WHR, TST, FTI, FM and %BF did not correlate with hepcidin, Hb, Fe, TSAT and Ferr. This study demonstrated that overall adiposity correlates positively with inflammation but this is not applicable to indices of visceral fat. However, no correlation was established between obesity and anaemia in this study.