Serum ferritin levels predict all-cause and infection-cause 1-year mortality in diabetic patients on maintenance hemodialysis.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between the serum ferritin level and the 1-year outcome in diabetic maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients.


METHODS
The prospective clinical study enrolled 187 diabetic MHD patients from a university hospital in Taiwan. All the patients were divided into 3 groups according to their serum ferritin levels: group I (<200 ng/mL; n = 71), group II (200-700 ng/mL; n = 97), and group III (>700 ng/mL; n = 19). A total of 26 demographic, clinical, and laboratory variables were analyzed as predictors of the 1-year mortality.


RESULTS
There were no significant differences between these 3 groups except in their erythropoietin usage, hemoglobin, transferrin saturation, and high-sensitive C-reactive protein levels. The 1-year mortality rates were 9.2%, 11.4%, and 46.2% in groups I, II, and III, respectively. Group I and group II patients had a lower 1-year mortality rate than group III patients (log-rank test; chi = 8.807; P = 0.0112).


CONCLUSIONS
The study suggested that serum ferritin levels predict both all-cause and infection-cause 1-year mortality in diabetic patients on MHD. In such patients, the serum ferritin levels are associated with both iron stores and the inflammation status.
Jenq
Chang-Chyi
CC
From the Department of Nephrology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Lin-Kou; Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taiwan.
Hsu
Ching-Wei
CW
Huang
Wen-Hung
WH
Chen
Kuan-Hsing
KH
Lin
Ja-Liang
JL
Lin-Tan
Dan-Tzu
DT
D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000401:mortality*
D005293:Ferritins; D003404:Creatinine