• N von Ahsen, M Helmhold, T Eisenhauer, V W Armstrong, and M Oellerich.
• Abteilung Klinische Chemie, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany.
• Eur. J. Clin. Invest. 1996 Aug 1; 26 (8): 668-75.

AbstractSerum lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] concentrations and apolipoprotein(a) phenotypes were determined in 46 patients with end-stage renal disease both before as well as 1 week and 1, 3 and 6 months after renal transplantation. Immunosuppressive therapy consisted of cyclosporin A, prednisone and azathioprine. Before transplantation median Lp(a) levels did not differ between the patients and a healthy control group. A highly significant decrease (P < 0.001) in Lp(a) levels was observed in both male and female patients 1 week after transplantation. This marked reduction in Lp(a) occurred at a time when patients were receiving the highest doses of corticosteroids. As steroid doses were gradually tapered, Lp(a) concentrations subsequently increased, although at 6 months levels were still significantly reduced (P < 0.01) in women. No significant correlation was observed between Lp(a) and whole-blood cyclosporin levels, nor was there any correlation with the azathioprine dose. The reduction in Lp(a) concentrations was seen for all apo(a) phenotypes observed in the study.

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