title: Protein Z and vitamin K in kidney disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Disturbances in hemostasis are common complications of kidney diseases. Both bleeding diathesis and thromboembolism may complicate the course of chronic uremia. As far as we know, there is a limited data about protein Z in kidney disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  The aim of our work was to examine plasma protein Z and vitamin K concentrations in nephrotic syndrome (n = 34), glomerulonephritis (n = 48), kidney transplant recipients (n = 80), peritoneally dialyzed patients (n = 42) and in the healthy volunteers (n = 27).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vitamin K was significantly lower in nephrotic syndrome when compared to non-nephrotic patients, CAPD and healthy volunteers (p < 0.05). Protein Z was the highest in CAPD and kidney transplant recipients when compared to any other group. In nephrotic syndrome protein Z was significantly lower when compared to the healthy volunteers, but it did not differ significantly between two groups of patients with chronic renal failure (with and without nephrotic syndrome). Protein Z correlated only with fibrinogen in CAPD, glomerulonephritis and nephrotic patients. Vitamin K correlated with age and albumin in patients with glomerulonephritis, nephrotic syndrome as well as with albumin in CAPD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alterations in protein Z might contribute to the enhanced risk of thromboembolic complications in nephrotic syndrome, CAPD and Tx via different and unknown mechanisms. This phenomenon seems to be unrelated to vitamin K status in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology and Transplantology, Medical University of Białystok, Poland. jackmaly@poczta.onet.pl
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Małyszko
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Małyszko
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Skrzydlewska
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pawlak
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Myśliwiec
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000097:blood*; D006474:Hemorrhagic Disorders / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009404:Nephrotic Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D010530:Peritoneal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000097:blood; D014812:Vitamin K / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; C026080:plasma protein Z; D014812:Vitamin K