Evaluation of Fetuin-A Level and Valvular Calcification in Prevelant Hemodialysis Patients

Abstract

The levels of serum fetuin-A in the group of hemodialysis patients were significantly lower than those in the control group of healthy subjects. These results suggest that the factors inhibiting vascular calcification show a more marked decline in the group of hemodialysis patients than in the group of healthy subjects. The present study confirmed the independent and significant association between reduced serum fetuin-A levels and cardiac calcification. Both the level of serum fetuin-A and status of valvular calcification in hemodialysis patients were found to have negative correlations with highly sensitive CRP and age of patients. On the other hand, fetuin-A levels in the same patients showed a positive correlation with serum albumin. From these results, it is believed that low fetuin-A levels are associated with atherosclerosis, inflammation, and malnutrition. It seems that attempt on treatments for increasing fetuin-A will be helpful in preventing calcification among patients on HD. Of importance is the finding that valvular calcification together with inflammation provides additional implications beyond that of clinical atherosclerotic vascular disease. This supports the concept that valvular calcification together with inflammation may represent a distinct aspect of cardiovascular risk burden independent of other clinical atherosclerotic vascular complications. Although valvular calcification is considered a marker of atherosclerosis, we found no statistically significant differences in other traditional atherogenic risk factors, including sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and cholesterol, as well as FRS, between patients with and without valvular calcification.