title: Marked increase of asymmetric dimethylarginine in patients with incipient primary chronic renal disease.
abstract: In patients with uremia, increased blood concentrations of the endogenous nitric oxide synthase inhibitor asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) have been linked to the severity of atherosclerosis and to excess cardiovascular mortality. The ADMA levels and several traditional cardiovascular risk factors were assessed in 44 untreated nonsmoking patients with confirmed primary chronic renal disease at different stages of renal disease. True GFR was assessed by means of the inulin-clearance technique. For comparison, nonsmoking subjects matched with respect to age, gender, and body-mass index were examined. Mean plasma ADMA concentration was markedly higher (P < 0.0001) in all patients combined (4.2 +/- 0.9 micromol/L) than in control subjects (n = 16; age 45 +/- 10 yr; serum creatinine 1.0 +/- 0.1 mg/dl; ADMA 1.4 +/- 0.7 micromol/L). However, mean ADMA levels were similar in patients with normal renal function (n = 16; age 41 +/- 9 yr; serum creatinine 1.1 +/- 0.1 mg/dl; GFR 120 +/- 14 ml x min(-1) x 1.73 m2; ADMA 4.0 +/- 0.7 micromol/L), in patients with moderate renal failure (n = 15; 47 +/- 7 yr; 1.8 +/- 0.3 mg/dl; 65 +/- 10 ml x min(-1) x 1.73 m2; 3.8 +/- 0.6 micromol/L) and in patients with advanced renal failure (n = 13; 46 +/- 9 yr; 4.2 +/- 0.9 mg/dl; 25 +/- 4 ml x min(-1) x 1.73 m2; 4.7 +/- 1.2 micromol/L). Furthermore, ADMA levels were increased to the same extent in normotensive (n = 17; 4.0 +/- 0.8 micromol/L) and in hypertensive (n = 27; 4.2 +/- 0.9 micromol/L) patients. In contrast to ADMA, mean total plasma homocysteine concentration were similar in control subjects (10.6 +/- 2.9 micromol/L) and in patients with normal GFR (11.0 +/- 2.9 micromol/L), but were significantly higher in patients with moderate renal failure (17.7 +/- 4.1 micromol/L) and particularly in patients with advanced renal failure (28.2 +/- 10.6 micromol/L). Finally, mean total serum cholesterol concentrations were comparable in the control group and in the three groups of patients with renal disease. In contrast to several traditional cardiovascular risk factors, markedly increased blood concentrations of ADMA, a putative biochemical marker of atherosclerosis, are present even in nonsmoking patients without diabetes with incipient primary renal disease. Thus, the early increase of ADMA levels may be of relevance for the excess cardiovascular morbidity and mortality due to arterio- and atherosclerotic complications in patients with renal disease.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Internal Medicine and Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Department of Pharmacology, University Hospital of Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany; and Department of Internal Medicine, Ruperto-Carola University, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jan T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Kielstein
authors.affiliation: *Department of Internal Medicine and Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Department of Pharmacology, University Hospital of Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany; and Department of Internal Medicine, Ruperto-Carola University, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Rainer H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Böger
authors.affiliation: *Department of Internal Medicine and Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Department of Pharmacology, University Hospital of Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany; and Department of Internal Medicine, Ruperto-Carola University, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefanie M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Bode-Böger
authors.affiliation: *Department of Internal Medicine and Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Department of Pharmacology, University Hospital of Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany; and Department of Internal Medicine, Ruperto-Carola University, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jürgen C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Frölich
authors.affiliation: *Department of Internal Medicine and Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Department of Pharmacology, University Hospital of Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany; and Department of Internal Medicine, Ruperto-Carola University, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Haller
authors.affiliation: *Department of Internal Medicine and Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Department of Pharmacology, University Hospital of Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany; and Department of Internal Medicine, Ruperto-Carola University, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Eberhard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ritz
authors.affiliation: *Department of Internal Medicine and Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Department of Pharmacology, University Hospital of Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany; and Department of Internal Medicine, Ruperto-Carola University, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Danilo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fliser
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood*; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D007668:Kidney / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D012016:Reference Values; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: C018524:N,N-dimethylarginine; D001120:Arginine; D003404:Creatinine