title: Quantitative analysis of abdominal aortic calcification in CKD patients without dialysis therapy by use of the Agatston score.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to quantitatively examine factors associated with aortic calcification in non-dialysis CKD patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We quantitatively investigated aortic calcification from the renal artery to the bifurcation in 149 non-dialysis CKD patients (58±16 years; 96 males and 53 females, 48 diabetics; eGFR 40.3 ± 29.3 ml/min), and measured Agatston scores using multi-slice computed tomography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 149 patients, aortic calcification was present in 117. In patients with aortic calcification, age (p<0.001), C-reactive protein (p<0.001), and intact-PTH (p < 0.001) were significantly higher, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was significantly lower (p<0.001), and diabetes was observed more often (p<0.05). In regards to the degree of aortic calcification, the Agatston scores correlated significantly and positively with age (ρ=0.438, p<0.001) and serum phosphate (ρ=0.208, p=0.024), and correlated significantly but negatively with e-GFR (ρ=-0.353, p<0.001). In multiple regression analysis, eGFR was associated significantly and independently with the log [Agatston score] (β=-0.346, p<0.01), after adjustment for several confounders including serum phosphate and the presence of diabetes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hyperphospatemia, chronic inflammation, diabetes, and decreased GFR are associated significantly with the presence of aortic calcification in non-dialysis CKD patients. Decreased eGFR was associated significantly and independently with the quantitative degree of aortic calcification.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsuru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ichii
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ishimura
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shima
authors.forename: Yoshiteru
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: Akinobu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ochi
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakatani
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsuda
authors.forename: Shoichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ehara
authors.forename: Katsuhito
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fukumoto
authors.forename: Toshihide
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Naganuma
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takemoto
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakatani
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inaba
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006801:Humans; D006977:Hypertension, Renal / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed