title: Osteoprotegerin, inflammation and dyslipidemia are associated with abdominal aortic calcification in non-diabetic patients on peritoneal dialysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Abdominal aortic calcification (AC) has been reported to be associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in hemodialysis patients but is rarely discussed in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. We examined the independent predictors and predictive power for survival of AC in prevalent PD patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AC was detected by computed tomography (CT) and represented as the percentage of the total aortic cross-section area affected by AC (%AC). The predictors of %AC ≥ 15 were examined by multiple logistic regression analysis. Cox proportional hazard analysis was used to determine the hazard ratios associated with high %AC. A total of 183 PD patients were recruited to receive CT scans and divided into group 1 (%AC < 15, n = 97), group 2 (%AC ≥ 15, n = 41), and group 3 (diabetic patients, n = 45). Group 1 patients had lower osteoprotegerin (OPG) levels than group 2 patients (798 ± 378 vs. 1308 ± 1350 pg/mL, p < 0.05). The independent predictors for %AC ≥ 15 included the atherogenic index, OPG, and C-reactive protein (CRP). The age-adjusted hazard ratios associated with %AC ≥ 15 were 3.46 (p = 0.043) for mortality and 1.90 (p = 0.007) for hospitalization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  %AC can predict mortality and morbidity in non-diabetic PD patients, and 15% is a good cut-off value for such predictions. There are complex associations among mineral metabolism, inflammation, and dyslipidemia in the pathogenesis of AC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: J-W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzuchi Hospital, The Buddhist Tzuchi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Y-C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lien
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: C-Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: K-L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: C-F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: C-J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: C-K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Center & Department of Clinical Pathology, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: J-K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: S-R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: H-Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Integrated Diagnostics and Therapeutics, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: C-K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.affiliation: National Taiwan University Hospital, Hsin-Chu Branch, Hsin Chu City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: H-T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Min-Sheng General Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan. Electronic address: renshi119@gmail.com.
authors.forename: R-S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Shyu
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: kyhung@ntu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: K-Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Hung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053244:Osteoprotegerin / Q000097:blood*; D010530:Peritoneal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013624:Taiwan; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D053244:Osteoprotegerin; C506030:TNFRSF11B protein, human; D002097:C-Reactive Protein
keywords: Abdominal aortic calcification; C-reactive protein; Computed tomography; Fetuin-A; Osteoprotegerin; Peritoneal dialysis