Inflammation, homocysteine and carotid intima-media thickness.
BACKGROUND
Cardiovascular disease is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in chronic renal patients. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is one of the most accurate markers of atherosclerosis risk. In this study, the authors set out to evaluate a population of chronic renal patients to determine which factors are associated with an increase in intima-media thickness.


METHODS
We included 56 patients (F=22, M=34), with a mean age of 68.6 years, and an estimated glomerular filtration rate of 15.8 ml/min (calculated by the MDRD equation). Various laboratory and inflammatory parameters (hsCRP, IL-6 and TNF-alpha) were evaluated. All subjects underwent measurement of internal carotid artery intima-media thickness by high-resolution real-time B-mode ultrasonography using a 10 MHz linear transducer.


RESULTS
Intima-media thickness was used as a dependent variable in a simple linear regression model, with the various laboratory parameters as independent variables. Only parameters showing a significant correlation with CIMT were evaluated in a multiple regression model: age (p=0.001), hemoglobin (p=00.3), logCRP (p=0.042), logIL-6 (p=0.004) and homocysteine (p=0.002). In the multiple regression model we found that age (p=0.001) and homocysteine (p=0.027) were independently correlated with CIMT. LogIL-6 did not reach statistical significance (p=0.057), probably due to the small population size.


CONCLUSIONS
The authors conclude that age and homocysteine correlate with carotid intima-media thickness, and thus can be considered as markers/risk factors in chronic renal patients.
Baptista
Alexandre P
AP
Hospital Distrital de Faro, Faro, Portugal. baptistalexandre@gmail.com
Cacdocar
Sanjiva
S
Palmeiro
Hugo
H
Faísca
Marília
M
Carrasqueira
Herménio
H
Morgado
Elsa
E
Sampaio
Sandra
S
Cabrita
Ana
A
Silva
Ana Paula
AP
Bernardo
Idalécio
I
Gome
Veloso
V
Neves
Pedro L
PL
D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000209:etiology*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology*; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000473:pathology*
D006710:Homocysteine