Transcranial sonography depicts a larger substantia nigra echogenic area in renal transplant patients on calcineurin inhibitors than on rapamycin

Table 1 Comparison of demographic data, kidney, spleen and TCS parameters between controls and renal transplant recipients (RTRs)

Variable	Controls (n = 20)	RTRs (n = 95)	P
Sex, male	50.0%	57.9%	0.517
Age, y	43.05 ± 12.27	50.80 ± 13.64	0.018
BMI, kg/m²	25.92 ± 3.60	25.16 ± 4.61	0.170
Serum creatinine, mg/dL	0.83 ± 0.11	2.31 ± 1.55	< 0.001
Mesencephalon area, cm²	2.92 ± 0.35	2.76 ± 0.47	0.090
SN area, cm²	0.21 ± 0.07	0.30 ± 0.15	0.012
3^rd V, mm	2.62 ± 1.35	4.32 ± 2.06	< 0.001
cIMT, mm	0.55 ± 0.12	0.63 ± 0.15	0.011
MCA RI	0.52 ± 0.04	0.55 ± 0.09	0.288
Kidney RI	0.60 ± 0.06	0.71 ± 0.09	< 0.001
Spleen RI	0.54 ± 0.06	0.57 ± 0.08	0.277
Spleen size, mm	102.62 ± 11.72	104.24 ± 21.81	0.936

TCS Transcranial Sonography, BMI Body Mass Index, SN Substantia Nigra, 3^rd V Third Ventricle width, cIMT carotid Intima-Media Thickness, MCA Middle Cerebral Artery, RI Doppler Resistive Index

ISSN: 1471-2369