Background and objective: Patients on hemodialysis exhibit a drastically increased cardiovascular mortality. Inflammation, hyperphosphatemia and lack of calcification inhibitors are uremia-associated risk factors for vascular calcification. Functional and morphological vascular parameters are used to assess cardiovascular risk. The aim of our study was to analyse the relation between pulse wave velocity (PWV) and intima-media-thickness (IMT) with calcification inhibitors.
Methods: A cohort of 97 hemodialysis patients was consecutively selected and investigated (age 56 +/- 9 years). Carotid-femoral PWV, carotid IMT, left ventricular ejection fraction and septum thickness were determined. These parameters were correlated with serum levels of CRP and calcification inhibitors (fetuin-A and osteoprotegerin [OPG]).
Results: Both PWV and IMT showed a positive correlation with age and systolic blood pressure and a negative correlation with Kt/V (dialysis efficiency). Additionally, fetuin-A was negatively associated with CRP and positively with cholesterol and triglycerides. Serum levels of the calcification inhibitors fetuin-A and OPG were not correlated to PWV or IMT.
Conclusion: The lack of correlation of calcification inhibitors with PWV and IMT means that functional and morphological measurements of vascular properties can not necessarily be replaced by analysing "biomarkers".