MO188: Elevated Serum Soluble Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator Receptor Level is Linked to Aortic Stiffness in Chronic Haemodialysis Patients

Abstract

Abstract BACKGROUND AND AIMS Soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) is associated with inflammation and contributing in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Aortic stiffness is associated with aging-associated vascular diseases and is also an independent risk factor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We evaluated the association between serum suPAR and aortic stiffness in patients with chronic haemodialysis (HD). METHOD A total of 135 patients with HD were enrolled in this study. Carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) was measured using the SphygmoCor system. Patients with cfPWV >10 m/s were defined as the aortic stiffness group. Serum suPAR levels were measured using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. RESULTS Fifty-five HD patients (40.7%) had aortic stiffness and higher percentages of diabetes (P = .001), hypertension (P = .039), were of older age (P = .007) and had higher systolic blood pressure (P = .025), serum glucose level (P = .019), C-reactive protein (P = .039) and suPAR levels (P < .001) compared to control group. After adjusting for factors significantly associated with aortic stiffness by multivariate logistic regression analysis, serum suPAR [odds ratio (OR): 1.910, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.485–2.458, P < .001] and age (OR: 1.040, 95% CI: 1.001–1.080, P = .048) were independently associated with aortic stiffness in patients with chronic HD. After multivariable forward stepwise linear regression analysis also noted that serum suPAR level (β = 0.442, adjusted R2 change = 0.250, P < .001) was positively associated with with cfPWV values in HD patients. CONCLUSION Serum suPAR level is positively associated with cfPWV values and is a biomarker for aortic stiffness in patients with chronic HD.