Lin Hsiu-Hsien, Ho Ching-Chun, Chen Yen-Cheng, Ho Guan-Jin, Hsu Bang-Gee, Lee Ming-Che
Department of Surgery, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan.
School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan.
Tzu Chi Med J. 2021 Apr 1;34(1):62-68. doi: 10.4103/tcmj.tcmj_268_20. eCollection 2022 Jan-Mar.
Myostatin is a myokine predominantly expressed and secreted in skeletal muscle in response to stimulations, including oxidative stress or inflammation. We investigated a potential association between myostatin levels and endothelial function among kidney transplantation (KT) patients.
Fasting blood samples were collected from 64 KT patients. The endothelial function that indicated by vascular reactivity index (VRI) was measured by digital thermal monitoring test. Serum myostatin levels were measured using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. All patients were categorized into three groups according to their VRI values: poor vascular reactivity was considered if VRI <1.0; 1.0 ≤VRI <2.0 indicated intermediate vascular reactivity, and VRI ≥2.0 was grouped as good vascular reactivity.
Seven KT patients (10.9%) were categorized as poor vascular reactivity, 24 KT patients (37.5%) were grouped as intermediate vascular reactivity, and 33 KT patients had good vascular reactivity. Advanced age ( = -0.372, = 0.002) and serum alkaline phosphate (ALP) level ( = -0.341, = 0.006) were negatively correlated with VRI. However, serum myostatin level ( = 0.430, < 0.001) was positively correlated with VRI. In multivariable forward stepwise linear regression analysis, high serum level of myostatin (β = 0.441, adjusted change = 0.171; < 0.001), advanced age (β = -0.317, adjusted change = 0.138; = 0.003), and serum ALP level (β = -0.270, adjusted change = 0.060; = 0.011) were significantly associated with VRI in KT patients.
Our study showed that fasting myostatin level was positively associated with VRI and endothelial function among KT patients.
肌生成抑制素是一种肌动蛋白，主要在骨骼肌中表达并响应包括氧化应激或炎症在内的刺激而分泌。我们研究了肾移植（KT）患者中肌生成抑制素水平与内皮功能之间的潜在关联。
收集64例KT患者的空腹血样。通过数字热监测试验测量以血管反应性指数（VRI）表示的内皮功能。使用商用酶联免疫吸附测定试剂盒测量血清肌生成抑制素水平。所有患者根据其VRI值分为三组：若VRI<1.0，则认为血管反应性差；1.0≤VRI<2.0表示中等血管反应性，VRI≥2.0归为良好血管反应性。
7例KT患者（10.9%）被归类为血管反应性差，24例KT患者（37.5%）被归类为中等血管反应性，33例KT患者具有良好的血管反应性。高龄（=-0.372，=0.002）和血清碱性磷酸酶（ALP）水平（=-0.341，=0.006）与VRI呈负相关。然而，血清肌生成抑制素水平（=0.430，<0.001）与VRI呈正相关。在多变量向前逐步线性回归分析中，血清肌生成抑制素水平高（β=0.441，调整后的变化=0.171；<0.001）、高龄（β=-0.317，调整后的变化=0.138；=0.003）和血清ALP水平（β=-0.270，调整后的变化=0.060；=0.011）与KT患者的VRI显著相关。
我们的研究表明，空腹肌生成抑制素水平与KT患者的VRI和内皮功能呈正相关。
