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Assessment of Vascular Function in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease
08:50

Assessment of Vascular Function in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease

Published on: June 16, 2014

Cardiovascular risk biomarkers in CKD: the inflammation link and the road less traveled

Usama Elewa1, Maria Dolores Sanchez-Niño, Catalina Martin-Cleary

  • 1IIS-Fundacion Jimenez Diaz/UAM/FRIAT, Madrid, Spain.

International Urology and Nephrology
|September 12, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Patients with end-stage renal disease face accelerated aging and high mortality. Targeting inflammation, particularly Interleukin-6 (IL-6), shows promise for improving outcomes in these patients.

Area of Science:

  • Nephrology
  • Gerontology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • End-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients exhibit accelerated aging with significantly increased cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.
  • Current therapeutic interventions have not improved outcomes in ESRD patients.
  • Biomarkers like inflammation and chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD) predict outcomes but lack clinical trial validation for risk stratification and treatment decisions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the role of biomarkers in risk stratification and therapeutic decision-making for ESRD patients.
  • To investigate inflammation as a potential therapeutic target in ESRD.
  • To identify novel therapeutic targets by understanding disease pathophysiology through biomarkers.

Main Methods:

  • Review of observational studies linking biomarkers (CKD-MBD, asymmetrical dimethyl arginine, tri-iodothyronine) to inflammation and outcomes in ESRD.
  • Analysis of the predictive value of inflammation biomarkers, specifically Interleukin-6 (IL-6).
  • Examination of ongoing and completed clinical trials targeting IL-6 and IL-1 in inflammatory conditions and cardiovascular injury.

Main Results:

  • Inflammation is identified as a key factor in ESRD pathophysiology and a prime target for intervention.
  • Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a highly predictive biomarker for outcomes in ESRD.
  • Clinical trials targeting IL-1 have shown success in reducing systemic inflammation in hemodialysis patients.

Conclusions:

  • Biomarker-guided therapeutic strategies, particularly targeting inflammation like IL-6, hold potential for improving outcomes in ESRD.
  • Successful trials targeting inflammation in other conditions may pave the way for similar interventions in CKD.
  • Further clinical trials are warranted to validate the therapeutic potential of targeting biomarkers in ESRD.

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