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Assessment of Vascular Function in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease
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Increased aortic wall stiffness associated with low circulating fetuin A and high C-reactive protein in predialysis

Tomasz Porazko1, Jakub Kuźniar, Mariusz Kusztal

  • 1Department of Nephrology and Transplantation Medicine, Wrocław Medical University, Wrocław, Poland.

Nephron. Clinical Practice
|July 16, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Arterial stiffness accelerates in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, even before dialysis. This is linked to inflammation and fetuin A deficiency, though age remains the primary driver.

Area of Science:

  • Nephrology
  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Vascular calcification and arterial stiffening are significant cardiovascular risks in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.
  • These conditions are prevalent even in the predialysis stages of CKD.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the associations between inflammatory markers, fetuin A, and arterial wall stiffness in CKD patients.
  • The study focused on patients in predialysis and on maintenance dialysis.

Main Methods:

  • Serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), fetuin A, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured.
  • Aortic pulse wave velocity (aoPWV) was assessed using tonometry in 155 CKD patients and 30 healthy controls.

Main Results:

  • CKD patients exhibited higher aoPWV, hs-CRP, and IL-6, with lower fetuin A compared to controls.
  • Age was the strongest independent predictor of arterial stiffness across all groups.
  • Significant associations between aoPWV, IL-6, and fetuin A were observed specifically in hemodialysis patients.

Conclusions:

  • Arterial wall stiffness is elevated in CKD patients, commencing in the predialysis phase.
  • While age is the primary determinant, accelerated stiffness in CKD is influenced by fetuin A deficiency and elevated inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6).
Abstract

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