ST2 as a novel cardiovascular biomarker in renal transplant recipients
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigation of soluble ST2 as a novel biomarker for cardiovascular disease in a renal transplant population
IRAS ID
227609
Contact name
Paul Devine
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Belfast Health & Social Care Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 5 days
Research summary
Investigation of soluble ST2 as a novel biomarker for cardiovascular disease in a renal transplant population.
Kidney transplantation is the optimal intervention for end-stage renal disease because it offers patients increased life expectancy and improved quality of life compared to dialysis. Despite these benefits, kidney transplant recipients remain at high risk of cardiovascular disease and fatal cardiovascular events. Traditional methods for predicting cardiovascular risk in the general population often underestimate this risk for kidney transplant recipients. Thus, new methods for risk prediction in transplant recipients are essential so that individuals at high risk for cardiovascular events can be offered tailored treatment at an early stage.
Soluble ST2 (sST2) is a potential biochemical marker of cardiovascular disease which is measurable in blood. Higher concentrations in healthy individuals and those previously diagnosed with cardiovascular disease are associated with increased risk of future cardiovascular events. This project, funded by the Northern Ireland Kidney Research Fund (NIKRF), will investigate the utility of sST2 as a marker of cardiovascular risk in the unique setting of a renal transplant cohort.
The study population will consist of renal transplant recipients who were recruited for two previous studies. 379 renal transplant recipients were recruited between June 2000 and December 2002 and a further 184 were recruited between 2013 and 2014. All recipients underwent their kidney transplant procedure at the Belfast City Hospital. Serum samples were obtained from each of these recipients and frozen for storage. sST2 concentrations will be measured in each of these samples. The results will be correlated with clinical data on cardiovascular events, which will be obtained from a regional database of transplant recipients in Northern Ireland.
It is anticipated that the results will determine whether sST2 is a useful predictor of cardiovascular events in kidney transplant recipients.
REC name
London - Fulham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/1799
Date of REC Opinion
20 Oct 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion