Can vasohibin-1, an endothelium-derived angiogenesis inhibitor, be a marker of endothelial dysfunction in hemodialysis patients?

Abstract

Endothelial dysfunction (ED) is associated with high cardiovascular disease burden in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Vasohibin-1, an endothelium-derived angiogenesis inhibitor, is essential for endothelial cell survival, therefore it may be a promising marker of ED. We aimed to investigate whether vasohibin-1 levels are associated with ED markers in HD patients. Fifty HD patients and 30 healthy controls were included in the study. As markers of ED, endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), and pulse wave velocity (PWV) were examined. Serum vasohibin-1 levels were measured with ELISA. Serum vasohibin-1 levels were low (387.7±115.7 vs 450.1±140.1 P=.02), FMDs' were impaired (6.65±2.50 vs 10.95±2.86 P<.001), PWV (7.92±1.964 vs 6.79±0.96 P=.01) and CIMT (0.95±0.20 vs 0.60±0.11 P<.001) were increased in HD patients compared to healthy controls. In regression analysis, vasohibin-1 levels were not related with FMD, PWV, or CIMT. Hemodialysis patients have low serum vasohibin-1 levels but serum levels of vasohibin-1 did not show any significant relationship with FMD, PWV, and CIMT in HD patients. Since vasohibin-1 acts via paracrine pathways, serum levels may be insufficient to explain the relationship between vasohibin and ED. Local vasohibin-1 activity on tissue level may be more important instead of circulating levels.