title: Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A in dialysis patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) was recently described as a new marker of cardiovascular events and of inflammation in uremic patients. The aim of this study was to determine levels of PAPP-A in chronic dialysis patients and its possible relationships with renal osteodystrophy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 99 adult chronic hemodialysis patients, 14 peritoneal dialysis patients and 41 control subjects were included in the study. Serum PAPP-A, intact parathormone (iPTH), calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were measured. The correlations between PAPP-A and iPTH, calcium, phosphorus and ALP were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PAPP-A levels were significantly higher in peritoneal dialysis [4.5 (3.2-6.7) mU/L, median (interquartile range)], and hemodialysis patients [4.7 (3.8-6.5) mU/L] in comparison to control subjects [3.4 (3.0-5.0) mU/L] (p<0.05). In hemodialysis patients, post-dialysis PAPP-A levels [6.2 (4.7-9.4) mU/L] were significantly higher than pre-dialysis levels [4.7 (3.8-6.5) mU/L] (p<0.05). There was a weak but statistically significant positive correlation between serum PAPP-A and iPTH (r=0.216; p=0.041) and ALP (r=0.205; p=0.044) in the hemodialysis group. Correlation between the duration of dialysis therapy and PAPP-A levels was also significant (r=0.267; p=0.008) in the hemodialysis group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PAPP-A levels are elevated in acute coronary syndromes and are closely related to inflammation and oxidative stress. We conclude that PAPP-A levels are increased in dialysis patients and may reflect a greater degree of chronic inflammation than osteodystrophy in uremic patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Duzce University, School of Medicine, Duzce, Turkey. coskun_a2002@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Abdurrahman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coskun
authors.forename: Zerrin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bicik
authors.forename: Sadik
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Duran
authors.forename: Aytekin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alcelik
authors.forename: Zeki
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Soypacaci
authors.forename: Ozlem
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yavuz
authors.forename: Sukru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oksuz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D010530:Peritoneal Dialysis; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000378:metabolism; D011266:Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A / Q000378:metabolism*; D006435:Renal Dialysis
chemical_list: C470125:PTH protein, human; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D010758:Phosphorus; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D011266:Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A; D002118:Calcium