Impact of renal artery stenting on cytokine levels, left ventricle mass and diastolic function.

Background: Significant renal artery stenosis (RAS) may lead to left ventricle (LV) hypertrophy and diastolic function (DF) impairment through complex mechanisms: activation of cytokines and/or systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP) increase.

Aim: To assess interrelations between LV mass (LVM), DF and cytokines in patients undergoing renal artery stenting (PTA, percutaneous angioplasty of renal artery).

Methods: The study group comprised 72 subjects (44.4% men), 64.1 ± 9.9 years with RAS referred to PTA. SBP, DBP, transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-β1), aldosterone, B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels and change in LVM and LVM index (LVMI) and DF (E(vel), e'(vel), E/A ratio, E/e' ratio, Ar(time)-A(time)) on echocardiography were assessed preprocedurally, and three and 12 months postprocedurally.

Results: TGF-β1 level decreased from 13.3 ± 14.9 to 8.6 ± 8.0 ng/mL (p = 0.027), while BNP increased from 89.1 ± 86.3 to 131 ± 105 pmol/mL (p < 0.001). A significant reduction in LVMI in women (79.4 ± 16.9 vs. 95.7 ± 18.5 g/m², p < 0.001) and men (77.2 ± 16.8 vs. 100.1 ± 19.7 g/m², p < 0.001) was found at 12 months vs. baseline. Degree of LVM reduction correlated with baseline LVM (p < 0.001; r = -0.612) and e'(vel) (p = 0.05; r = 0.230), but not with BP values. Among DF parameters, only e'(vel) increased significantly at 12 months (5.54 ± 1.57 vs. 5.92 ± 1.65 cm/s; p = 0.039), while A/E and E/e' ratio, Ar(time)-A(time) remained similar (p = 0.457, p = 0.283 and p = 0.258). Factors associated with e'(vel) increase ≥ 0.3 cm/s at 12 months were baseline LVM < 165 g (p = 0.043, RR = 1.39, CI 1.01-1.46), E(vel) (p = 0.015, RR = 1.26, CI 1.15-1.52), e'(vel) (p < 0.001, RR = 1.42, CI 1.18-1.7), DBP decrease > 10 mm Hg (p = 0.055, RR = 1.2, CI 1.0-1.44) and TGF-β1 > 8 ng/mL (p = 0.024, RR = 1.24, CI 1.03-1.49) at 12 months.

Conclusions: Significant LVMI reduction was observed after PTA of RAS, but it was independent of BP reduction. e'(vel) increase was independently associated with baseline LVM, E(vel), e'(vel), and 12 month decrease in DBP > 10 mm Hg.