Fetuin-A and Ghrelin Levels in Children with End Stage Renal Disease and the Effect of a Single Hemodialysis Session on Them.
BACKGROUND
Fetuin-A and ghrelin have been implicated in cardiovascular diseases and mortality among end stage renal disease patients. The exact mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. There is robust data supporting an association between ghrelin and various cardiovascular conditions, and some common processes such as inflammation, oxidative stress, and endoplasmic reticulum stress have been implicated.


OBJECTIVE
This study was conducted to assay serum fetuin-A and ghrelin in chronic renal failure pediatric patients and to study changes in their level that may occur after a single hemodialysis.


METHODS
Forty nine pediatric patients suffering from ESRD on maintenance hemodialysis (HD), 20 patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) not on dialysis and 35 healthy subjects as control group were included. The mean age of the study population was 10.58 ± 3.94, 10.62 ± 3.24 and 10.61 ± 3.97 years respectively. Serum fetuin-A and plasma acyl ghrelin levels were measured by using ELISA method.


RESULTS
The present study revealed that predialysis serum fetuin-A level was significantly increased in pediatric HD patients compared with the normal population, while ghrelin levels were significantly reduced. Furthermore, serum levels of fetuin-A decreased significantly after a single HD session.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study concluded that fetuin-A and acyl ghrelin may play a role in inflammatory process among HD pediatric patients which may account for cardiovascular insults and mortality but their use as biochemical markers among ESRD pediatric patients have limitations due to wide fluctuations.
Department of Pediatrics, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt.
Mohamed Gamal
MG
Shouman
Department of Pediatrics, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt.
Nagwa Abdallah
NA
Ismail
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Ahmed
A
Badr
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Safaa Mohamed
SM
Abdelrahman
Department of Clinical Pathology, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt.
Shadia
S
Ragab
Department of Clinical Pathology, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt.
Hebatallah
H
Farouk
Fetuin-A; acyl ghrelin; children; chronic renal failure; hemodialysis