Angiopoietins in renal replacement therapy

The aim of this thesis is to elucidate the role of the Ang/Tie2-system before, during and after dialysis and renal transplantation. It came of interest since endothelial dysfunction plays a considerable role in these conditions. Therefore, we investigated angiopoietin levels in hemodialysis patients in Chapter 2. In Chapter 3, we aimed to gain insight in the Ang2 levels from living donation through renal transplantation and reperfusion in the paired recipient. We prospectively studied the association of circulating Ang1 and Ang2 with graft failure and mortality in renal transplant recipients (RTR) in Chapter 4. Chapter 5 zooms in on the morphological and histopathological damage caused by brain death in renal transplant biopsies. In Chapter 6, the endogenous role of Ang2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the deceased donor and recipient after renal transplantation was investigated. In Chapter 7 an outline of the pathophysiology of brain death and its detrimental effects on the potential donor kidney is presented. In Chapter 8, we studied the effects of Ang1, Vasculotide, and the Ang2 inhibitor AMG386 in an experimental brain dead rat model to mimic the brain death organ donor. All results are summarized and discussed in Chapter 10.