Pulse wave velocity differs between ulcerative colitis and chronic kidney disease.

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Physiology
• Nephrology
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Physiological stiffness gradient reversal is known in end-stage renal disease.
• Early chronic kidney disease (CKD) may exhibit this reversal.
• Chronic inflammation in ulcerative colitis (UC) may create a distinct arterial phenotype.

Purpose of the Study:

• Assess arterial stiffening in central (cf-PWV) and peripheral (cr-PWV) arteries in UC and CKD patients.
• Explore determinants of the arterial stiffness gradient in UC and CKD.

Main Methods:

• Enrolled 45 patients with UC, 45 with stage 3-4 CKD, and 45 matched controls.
• Measured carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) and carotid-radial pulse wave velocity (cr-PWV).

Main Results:

• Despite similar cf-PWV, cr-PWV was higher in UC than CKD patients (8.7 vs. 7.5 m/s).
• The PWV ratio was lower in UC (0.97) than CKD (1.12).
• Stiffness mismatch appeared in CKD stage 3B; UC stiffness correlated with C-reactive protein or active disease; CKD stiffness correlated with age and GFR.

Conclusions:

• Arterial phenotypes differ between UC and CKD.
• Reversed arterial stiffness gradient evident in CKD stage 3B, not UC.
• UC patients show increased elastic and muscular artery stiffness due to inflammation.