title: Copeptin levels associate with cardiovascular events in patients with ESRD and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
abstract: In ESRD, the neurohormone arginine vasopressin (AVP) may act primarily through V1a and V1b receptors, which promote vasoconstriction, myocardial hypertrophy, and release of adrenocorticotropic hormone. The preanalytical instability of AVP limits the investigation of whether this hormone associates with cardiovascular events, but the stable glycopeptide copeptin may serve as a surrogate because it is co-secreted with AVP from the posterior pituitary. Here, we studied whether copeptin predicts cardiovascular risk and mortality in ESRD. We measured copeptin at baseline in 1241 hemodialysis patients with type 2 diabetes participating in the German Diabetes and Dialysis Study. The median copeptin level was 81 pmol/L (interquartile range, 81 to 122 pmol/L). In Cox regression analyses, compared with patients with copeptin levels in the lowest quartile (≤51 pmol/L), patients with copeptin levels in the highest quartile (>122 pmol/L) had a 3.5-fold increased risk for stroke (HR, 3.48; 95% CI: 1.71 to 7.09), a 73% higher risk for sudden death (HR, 1.73; 95% CI: 1.01 to 2.95), a 42% higher risk for combined cardiovascular events (HR, 1.42; 95% CI: 1.06 to 1.90), and a 48% higher risk for all-cause mortality (HR, 1.48; 95% CI: 1.15 to 1.90). In contrast, we did not detect significant associations between copeptin levels and risks for myocardial infarction or death caused by congestive heart failure. In conclusion, copeptin levels strongly associate with stroke, sudden death, combined cardiovascular events, and mortality in hemodialysis patients with type 2 diabetes. Whether vasopressin receptor antagonists will improve these outcomes requires further studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Wiebke
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fenske
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wanner
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Allolio
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Drechsler
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Blouin
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lilienthal
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Krane
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015897:Comorbidity; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006020:Glycopeptides / Q000097:blood*; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006020:Glycopeptides; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D011758:Pyrroles; C048197:copeptins; D000069059:Atorvastatin