title: Angiopoietin-2 is associated with albuminuria and microinflammation in chronic kidney disease.
abstract: Although cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), the pathophysiology is not thoroughly understood. Given that elevated albuminuria or circulating angiopoietin-2 associates with CVD and mortality in CKD patients, we were intrigued by the relationship between albuminuria and angiopoietin-2. A total of 416 patients with CKD stages 3 to 5 were stratified by urine albumin-creatinine ratio as normoalbuminuria (<30 mg/g), microalbuminuria (30-300 mg/g), or macroalbuminuria (>300 mg/g). The levels of plasma angiopoietin-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) increased, and soluble Tie-2 decreased in the subgroups of albuminuria; whereas angiopoietin-1 did not change. Linear regression showed a positive correlation between urine albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) and plasma angiopoietin-2 (correlation coefficient r = 0.301, 95% confidence interval 0.211-0.386, P<0.0001), but not between ACR and VEGF or soluble Tie-2. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that plasma angiopoietin-2 was independently associated with ACR (P = 0.025). Furthermore, plasma angiopoietin-2 was positively correlated with high sensitive C-reactive protein (r = 0.114, 95% confidence interval 0.018-0.208, P = 0.020). In conclusion, plasma angiopoietin-2 was associated with albuminuria and markers of systemic microinflammation in CKD patients. Although previous evidence has shown that angiopoietin-2 destabilizes vasculature and induces inflammation in different scenarios, further study will be required to delineate the role of angiopoietin-2 in albuminuria and microinflammation in CKD patients.
authors.affiliation: Renal Division, Department of Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Fan-Chi
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Tai-Shuan
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Chih-Kang
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: Yung-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ming-Shiou
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Tzong-Shinn
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Kwan-Dun
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Shuei-Liong
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D042683:Angiopoietin-1 / Q000097:blood; D042702:Angiopoietin-2 / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D042683:Angiopoietin-1; D042702:Angiopoietin-2; D015415:Biomarkers; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D003404:Creatinine