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Updated: Oct 14, 2025

Assessment of Vascular Function in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease
Published on: June 16, 2014
Low serum 3-methyl histidine level is associated with aortic stiffness in maintenance hemodialysis patients
Yu-Chi Chang1, Chih-Hsien Wang1,2,3, Yu-Hsien Lai1,2,3
1Department of Internal Medicine, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan.
Abstract:
3-Methylhistidine (3MH) is an indicator of muscle catabolism. Subclinical protein malnutrition is an independent predictor of aortic stiffness (AS). We aimed to study the relationship between serum 3MH level and AS among patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity was applied to measure AS of 110 MHD patients. Serum 3MH levels were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. AS was defined as cfPWV >10 m/s. Forty-five (40.9%) patients were categorized as having AS. Multivariable logistic (odds ratio: 0.792, p < 0.001) and linear (β = -0.322, p < 0.001) regression analysis revealed that serum 3MH is an independent factor associated with AS among MHD patients. The diagnostic power of 3MH for AS in patients undergoing MHD was 0.691 (95% CI: 0.595-0.775, p = 0.0002). Low serum 3MH levels could be a potential biomarker related to AS among MHD patients.
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