Objectives: This was a cross-sectional study to demonstrate the effects of AVFs in renal transplant recipients on cardiac and endothelial functions of patients. Methods: The patients were evaluated in three groups including working AVF, closing AVF, and never opening AVF. LVM and LVMI values were calculated from echocardiographic measurements. Brachial artery FMD (flow- mediated vascular dilation) measurements of 81 patients were performed using the high-resolution external B-mode USG method. At the end of two years, the LVM and LVMI values of 45 patients, were calculated from echocardiographic measurements and compared with baseline findings. Results: In the group with open AVF, it was observed that LVM (244±72 [g]) to 222±56 [g], p=0.039) and LVMI (139±31 [g/m2 ] to 123±27 [g/m2 ], p=0.002) values decreased significantly after two years. In the brachial artery FMD analysis, when the group with open AVF was compared with the group with AVF closed, the FMD values of the group with open AVF were found to be statistically significantly lower (p=0.023). Conclusion: The study concluded that while there was no significant effect of AVF on left ventricular hypertrophy, it was associated with endothelial dysfunction. Keywords: Kidney transplantation, arteriovenous fistula, endothelial disfunction
Corresponding Author: Mehmet Besiroglu