Endothelial dysfunction in renal transplant recipients.

Endothelial dysfunction and damage are systemic processes that are recognised to play a central role in the pathogenesis of hypertension and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Renal failure is associated with impaired endothelium dependent vasodilatation that is partly a consequence of increased circulating levels of asymmetric dimethyl arginine. Endothelial dysfunction persists, although it is improved, after renal transplantation. Statins appear to improve endothelial dysfunction, as does withdrawal of calcineurin inhibitors, although there is no evidence that these strategies improve patient or graft survival. The situation in transplant recipients is complicated by the fact that endothelial dysfunction (within the graft vasculature) may be a separate process contributing to chronic allograft nephropathy and to circulating levels of endothelial cells and their components, thus limiting the utility of circulating markers of endothelial damage in this population.