Serum β2-microglobulin correlates positively with left ventricular hypertrophy in long-term hemodialysis patients.
OBJECTIVE
β2-Microglobulin (β2-MG) is a major protein component of dialysis-related amyloidosis. In long-term hemodialysis (HD) patients, β2-MG amyloid deposits not only in osteoarticular tissues, but also in systemic tissues, including the heart. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum β2-MG concentrations and echocardiographic parameters in long-term HD patients in a cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Measurement of serum β2-MG concentrations and echocardiography were performed in 251 patients who had undergone HD therapy for more than 10 years.


RESULTS
The left ventricular mass index (LVMI) of the higher serum β2-MG (≥30 mg/l) group was significantly higher than that of the lower serum β2-MG (<30 mg/l) group (151.5 ± 45.7 vs. 137.0 ± 44.5 g/m(2), p = 0.020). In simple regression analyses, serum β2-MG concentrations correlated significantly and positively with interventricular septum thickness (IVST) (r = 0.215, p < 0.001), posterior left ventricular wall thickness (PWT) (r = 0.249, p < 0.001), left ventricular wall thickness (LVWT) (r = 0.252, p < 0.001), relative wall thickness (RWT) (r = 0.153, p = 0.015) and LVMI (r = 0.171, p = 0.007). Multiple regression analyses revealed that serum β2-MG concentrations correlated significantly and positively with IVST, PWT, LVWT and RWT.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum β2-MG concentrations correlated significantly and positively with the echocardiographic parameters of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in long-term HD patients. Thus, deposition of β2-MG amyloid in the heart may be associated with LVH progression.
Department of Metabolism, Endocrinology, Molecular Medicine, and Nephrology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
Mio
M
Masuda
Eiji
E
Ishimura
Akinobu
A
Ochi
Yoshihiro
Y
Tsujimoto
Hideki
H
Tahahra
Senji
S
Okuno
Tsutomu
T
Tabata
Yoshiki
Y
Nishizawa
Masaaki
M
Inaba
D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000097:blood*
D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin