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Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Assessment of Vascular Function in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease
Published on: June 16, 2014
Endothelial activation markers in anemic non-dialysis chronic kidney disease patients
Tejas V Patel1, Bharati V Mittal, Sai Ram Keithi-Reddy
1Renal Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Background/Aims:
Anemia in chronic kidney disease is an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We explored the relationship between anemia and markers of inflammation and endothelial activation in non-dialysis chronic kidney disease (ND-CKD) patients to understand this mechanism.
Methods:
Cross-sectional analysis was performed on 30 adult ND-CKD patients for markers of inflammation and endothelial activation using a multiplexed immunoassay. Data were analyzed according to the anemic status defined by the modified World Health Organization criteria.
Results:
Seventeen patients were classified as anemic. Baseline characteristics by anemic status were similar except that anemic patients were older (p = 0.006), had lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR; p = 0.01) and higher prevalence of CVD (p = 0.02). Compared to non-anemic patients, log-transformed values of fibrinogen (p = 0.012); von Willebrand factor (vWF, p = 0.008), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1, p = 0.025) and C-reactive protein (p = 0.043) were elevated in anemic patients. Serum ferritin (p = 0.93) and serum albumin (p = 0.06) were not different. Age and eGFR-adjusted logistic regression analysis showed that anemic patients had increased odds for a composite of higher median values of fibrinogen, vWF and VCAM-1 (p = 0.01, odds ratio 8.1, 95% CI 1.08-111.0).
Conclusion:
We report the association of anemia with elevated markers of endothelial activation in ND-CKD patients. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm our findings.
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