Are advanced glycation end products cardiovascular risk factors in patients with CRF?
BACKGROUND
Chronic renal failure (CRF) is characterized by enhanced formation and accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which are involved in the pathogenesis of vascular damage. Their role as risk factors for cardiovascular complications is still unknown. This study aims to investigate whether elevated serum levels of the AGEs pentosidine, N(epsilon)-carboxymethyllysine (CML), and the 3-deoxyglucosone-derived imidazolone involve a greater risk for cardiovascular events (CVEs) and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH).


METHODS
Patients with CRF (n = 99), on maintenance hemodialysis (HD) therapy (n = 84), and renal transplant recipients (RTRs; n = 50) were included. Pentosidine was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography, and CML and imidazolone, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Statistical analyses were performed using Mann-Whitney U test, logistic regression analysis, and Cox proportional hazards model.


RESULTS
At baseline in all investigated groups, patients with a history of CVEs or LVH showed greater mean serum AGE levels. By retrospective data analysis, significant odds ratios for increases in CML and imidazolone levels were calculated for LVH in HD patients, as well as for increases in CML levels for CVEs in RTRs, respectively. By prospective data analysis, serum AGE levels could not be evaluated as independent risk factors for CVEs in all investigated groups.


CONCLUSIONS
From these preliminary results, serum AGE levels could not be identified as independent risk factors for CVEs or LVH in patients with CRF. Prospective studies are needed to answer this question.
Stein
Günter
G
Department of Internal Medicine IV, University of Jena, Germany. guenter.stein@med.uni-jena.de
Busch
Martin
M
Müller
Andreas
A
Wendt
Thoralf
T
Franke
Christiane
C
Niwa
Toshimitsu
T
Franke
Sybille
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000097:blood; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D008239:Lysine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced; D007093:Imidazoles; C117197:imidazolone; C048496:N(6)-carboxymethyllysine; D001120:Arginine; C062187:pentosidine; D008239:Lysine