title: Norepinephrine, left ventricular disorders and volume excess in ESRD.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sympathetic over-activity is a hallmark of end stage renal disease (ESRD). Left ventricular (LV) disorders and volume overload are pervasive in ESRD and sympathetic over-activity may be a relevant mediator of the cardiovascular (CV) risk by these alterations in this population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated the relationship between a combined biomarker of LV disorders and volume excess, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), and the plasma concentration of nor-epinephrine (NE) in 227 ESRD patients without heart failure at baseline and modelled the risk for incident CV events by these biomarkers over a 3.5 years follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma NE was strongly and independently related to ANP (β = 0.31, P < 0.001). In a multivariate Cox's regression analysis, ANP was an independent predictor of these events [HR (1-SD) 1.25, 95 % CI 1.01-1.54]. However, when NE was introduced into the multivariate model, HR by ANP reduced substantially (1.14, 95% CI 0.91-1.42) and was no longer significant (P = 0.25) while the CV risk signalled by NE was clinically relevant (HR 1.29, 95% CI 1.05-1.59) and statistically significant (P = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In ESRD patients without heart failure, NE is strongly and independently related to ANP. The predictive power of ANP for CV events is largely captured by NE in a statistical model including both biomarkers. These data suggest that sympathetic over-activity may be a relevant mediator of the high risk of CV events triggered by LV disorders and volume excess in this population. However, further mechanistic and intervention studies are needed to prove the nature (causal/non causal) of these findings.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Department, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, 165 Elhorreya Avenue, Elhadara, Alexandria, Egypt. samarabdelhafeez.epid@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Samar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abd ElHafeez
authors.affiliation: CNR-IFC/IBIM Clinical Epidemiology and Physiopathology of Renal Disease and Hypertension, Reggio Calabria, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tripepi
authors.affiliation: Clinica Medica Università di Catania Ospedale Cannizzaro, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Benedetta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stancanelli
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Evangelia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dounousi
authors.affiliation: Clinica Medica Università di Catania Ospedale Cannizzaro, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Malatino
authors.affiliation: CNR-IFC/IBIM Clinical Epidemiology and Physiopathology of Renal Disease and Hypertension, Reggio Calabria, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mallamaci
authors.affiliation: CNR-IFC/IBIM Clinical Epidemiology and Physiopathology of Renal Disease and Hypertension, Reggio Calabria, Italy.
authors.forename: Carmine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zoccali
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001810:Blood Volume; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor; D009638:Norepinephrine
keywords: Cardiovascular; ESRD; LV dysfunction; Left ventricular disorders; Nor epinephrine; Sympathetic; Volume expansion