The Alteration of Pro-inflammatory Cytokines and Oxidative Stress Markers at Six-Month Post-living Kidney Donation

Donors have a higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease than the general population. Some mechanisms mediated by pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress may be involved as risk factors. The objective of the study was to evaluate the behavior of pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress markers in living renal donors with a 6-month follow-up. A single prospective cohort was performed in 88 renal donors. At the end of the follow-up, the levels of lipoperoxides, 6.52 ± 1.12 mM, and 8-isoprostanes, 63.75 ± 13.28 pg/mL, were lower than before donation, 10.20 ± 3.95 mM (p < 0.001) and 67.54 ± 9.64 pg/mL (p = 0.026), respectively. Initial levels of nitric oxide (NO), 356.09 ± 59.38 μM increased at the end of the follow-up, 467.08 ± 38.74 μM (p < 0.001). It was observed in the final determination of donors decreased activity of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), 0.74 ± 0.57 U/L and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), 556.41 ± 80.37 nmol, in comparison with the levels obtained in the initial determination, 1.05 ± 0.57 U/L (p < 0.001) and 827.93 ± 162.78 nmol (p < 0.001), respectively. The pro-inflammatory cytokines, Tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-6 showed no differences at 6 months after donation. The enzyme oxoguanine glycosylase (hOGG1) responsible for repairing oxidative damage to DNA, showed a decrease in its concentration at the end of the study in donor men, 0.40 ± 0.21 ng/mL compared to the initial levels, 0.55 ± 0.32 ng/mL (p = 0.025). The marker, 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) exhibited an increase in donor men at the final determination 2.28 ± 1.99 ng/mL, compared to the concentration before donation, 1.72 ± 1.96 ng/mL (p < 0.001). We found significant changes in the markers of the oxidative state with increased NO and 8-OHdG, as well as a significant decrease in the antioxidant defenses SOD, GPx, and in the DNA repair enzyme in living renal donors after 6 months of follow-up.