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Updated: Dec 15, 2025

Assessment of Vascular Function in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease
Published on: June 16, 2014
Associations Between Cardiac Biomarkers and Cardiac Structure and Function in CKD
Nathan R Stein1, Leila R Zelnick2, Amanda H Anderson3
1Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
In chronic kidney disease (CKD), novel biomarker growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) and established cardiac biomarkers N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and high-sensitivity troponin T (hsTnT) correlate with subclinical cardiac changes. These findings may illuminate pathways to heart failure.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Nephrology
- Biomarker Research
Background:
- Subclinical cardiac structural and functional changes in chronic kidney disease (CKD) precede clinical heart failure (HF).
- Cardiac biomarkers may reflect these underlying pathophysiological alterations.
- Investigating novel biomarkers alongside established ones offers insight into CKD-related cardiovascular disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess associations between established (NT-proBNP, hsTnT) and novel (GDF-15, Gal-3, sST-2) biomarkers with echocardiographic measures of cardiac structure and function in CKD patients.
- To explore the relationship between these biomarkers and subclinical cardiovascular disease in mild to moderate CKD.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional analysis of 2101 participants with mild to moderate CKD from the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) study.
- Biomarker levels at baseline were correlated with echocardiographic measurements (LVMI, LVESV, LVEDV, LVEF, LAD) obtained one year later.
- Multivariable linear regression models were used to adjust for relevant covariates.
Main Results:
- Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) showed significant associations with increased left ventricular mass index (LVMI), left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV), and left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV).
- These GDF-15 associations were attenuated after adjusting for NT-proBNP and hsTnT.
- Established biomarkers NT-proBNP and hsTnT were significantly associated with all measured echocardiographic parameters, while Gal-3 and sST-2 showed no significant associations.
Conclusions:
- In CKD patients, GDF-15, NT-proBNP, and hsTnT are associated with echocardiographic evidence of subclinical cardiovascular disease.
- These biomarkers may collectively indicate biological pathways contributing to the progression of heart failure in CKD.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the specific roles of these biomarkers in CKD-associated cardiotoxicity.
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