Asymptomatic Hemodialysis Patients Research Articles

Exploring the relation between Interleukin-6 and high-sensitive cardiac troponin T in asymptomatic hemodialysis patient: A cross-sectional study.

High-sensitive cardiac troponin T (h-cTnT), which serves as a marker for myocardial damage, has also been linked to adverse outcomes in asymptomatic hemodialysis patients. This study aims to explore the correlation between interleukin-6 (IL-6) and h-cTnT in asymptomatic hemodialysis patients to unravel the relationship between inflammation and cardiovascular risk. A cross-sectional study involving 81 patients was conducted from November 2022 to March 2023 at An-Najah National University Hospital in Palestine. We gathered clinical data, including comorbidities, and obtained blood samples for measuring IL-6 and h-cTnT levels. We performed statistical analyses, including correlation tests and linear regression, to assess the associations between these variables. The study revealed a notable increase in both h-cTnT and IL-6 levels, and a significant correlation between the two (rho = 0.463, P<0.001) in asymptomatic hemodialysis patients. Likewise, h-cTnT levels displayed positive correlations with age (rho = 0.519, P<0.001) and negative correlations with albumin (rho = -0.297, p = 0.007) and transferrin saturation (rho = -0.227, P = 0.042). IL-6 levels exhibited correlations with age (rho = 0.422, P<0.001), albumin (rho = -0.389, P<0.001), iron (rho = -0.382, P<0.001), and transferrin saturation (rho = -0.362, P = 0.001). Notably, higher h-cTnT levels were associated with diabetes, hypertension, a history of coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular accidents, older age, and male gender. This study underscores the significant association between the inflammatory marker IL-6 and h-cTnT in asymptomatic hemodialysis patients, suggesting that inflammation may play an essential role in the elevation of h-cTnT levels. This association may have implications for predicting cardiovascular events and guiding interventions to reduce cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality in hemodialysis patients.

Potent SARS-CoV2-specific T-cell response in asymptomatic hemodialysis patients with hidden COVID-19 infection history.

COVID-19-related immune responses in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are characterized in detail by the humoral response, but their cellular immunity has not been clarified. Here, we evaluated virus-specific T cells in parallel with serology-related tests. In this study, 104 ESRD patients at the hemodialysis ward of Imam Reza hospital at Tabriz (Iran) were enrolled. After blood sampling, SARS-CoV2-specific humoral and cellular immune responses were evaluated by SARS-CoV2-specific IgM/IgG ELISA and peptide/MHCI-Tetramers flow cytometry, respectively. Our results showed that 14 (13.5%) and 45 (43.3%) patients had specific SARS-CoV2 IgM and IgG in their sera, respectively. Immunophenotyping for SARS-CoV2-specific CD8+ T lymphocytes revealed that 68 (65.4%) patients had these types of cells. Among SARS-CoV2-specific CD8+ T lymphocytes positive subjects, 13 and 43 individuals had positive results for specific SARS-CoV2 IgM and IgG existence, respectively. Also, there was a relationship between specific SARS-CoV2 IgM (p=0.031) and IgG (p < 0.0001) existence and having SARS-CoV2-specific TCD8+ lymphocytes in the studied population. Despite not having clinical symptoms, a high rate of SARS-CoV2-specific T-cell response in asymptomatic ESRD patients may reveal a high burden of asymptomatic COVID-19 infection in these patients.

Prevalence of Asymptomatic COVID-19 Infection in Hemodialysis Patients and the Risk of Hypercoagulability: Should we Consider Routine Screening?

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a pandemic in late 2019. Its clinical presentation varies from asymptomatic infection to severe respiratory failure. Infection control strategies to minimize the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients receiving in-center hemodialysis (HD) have been implemented. Development of humoral response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in adult patients with ESRD receiving HD has not been sufficiently reported. A total of 179 asymptomatic HD patients undergoing regular HD were screened for COVID-19 infection. Infection with SARS-CoV-2 was confirmed through a real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay of nasopharyngeal swab specimens. They were classified into positive and negative groups according to the results of PCR. Of the 179 asymptomatic patients, we found that 23 patients (12.8%) were positive for COVID-19. Their mean age was 45.61 ± 13.38 years. There was a significant difference between both groups regarding C-reactive protein, lymphocytes, and platelet counts (P < 0.001). Also, TAT (thrombin-antithrombin complex) and D-dimer levels were significantly increased among the positive group (11.47 ± 1.51 vs. 7.53 ± 1.64 mcq/L, P < 0.001; 1171.52 ± 267.6 vs. 542.76 ± 107.06 ng/mL, P < 0.001, respectively). Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection is detected in HD patients. They carry the risk of hypercoagulability complications. We need more strict infection control measures and proactive diagnosis to limit the spread of the infection and lethal thromboembolic complications.

COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test Screening in Patients on Hemodialysis.

Introduction Patients receiving in-center hemodialysis are extremely vulnerable to COVID-19. It is unclear if routine screening of asymptomatic hemodialysis patients is an effective strategy to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks within the dialysis unit. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of in-center hemodialysis patients who underwent bimonthly COVID-19 rapid antigen test screening from February 15th to December 26th, 2021. Nasal rapid antigen testing was performed in all asymptomatic patients. All rapid antigen-positive tests were confirmed by RT-PCR nasopharyngeal swab. Besides universal rapid antigen screening, RT-PCR testing was conducted in all symptomatic patients and contacts of COVID-19 subjects. Results Overall, 4079 rapid antigen tests were performed in 277 hemodialysis patients on chronic hemodialysis with a mean age of 68.4 ± 14.6 years. Thirty-eight (0.9%) rapid antigen tests resulted positive. Only five (13.8%) positive-rapid antigen tests were also positive by RT-PCR testing. During the same period, 219 patients regularly screened by rapid antigen tests bimonthly underwent 442 RT-PCR nasopharyngeal swabs for clinical reasons. RT-PCR testing yielded a positive result in 13 (5.9%) patients. The time elapsed between PCR and the negative-rapid antigen test was 7.7 ± 4.6 days (range 1.8–13.9 days). At the end of the follow-up, 6.4% of the population on in-center hemodialysis contracted COVID-19, and routine rapid antigen tests detected only 5 out of 18 (27.7%) COVID-19 cases. No outbreaks of COVID-19 were identified within the dialysis unit. Conclusion Bimonthly rapid antigen screening led to the early diagnosis of COVID-19 in less than one-third of cases. The short incubation period of the new SARS-CoV-2 variants makes bimonthly test screening inadequate for an early diagnosis of COVID-19. More frequent tests are probably necessary to improve the utility of COVID-19 nasal rapid antigen test in patients on hemodialysis.

Elevated Cardiac Troponin I following Asymptomatic Intradialytic Hypotension: A Pilot Study with a 2-Year Follow-Up.

Background Intradialytic hypotension (IDH) has been recognized as a serious and frequent complication during hemodialysis (HD) of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, but the effect of asymptomatic IDH on cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels is not definitively elucidated. Methods 70 asymptomatic HD patients with negative predialysis cTnI were included. They were on maintenance HD thrice weekly. All patients were monitored during the HD session for hemodynamic changes and symptoms related to IDH. Patients were followed for two years, and their outcomes are noted as an acute coronary syndrome (ACS), cardiac death, no ACS, noncardiac death, and kidney transplant. Results Compared with the baseline blood pressure values, there was a drop in systolic blood pressure for all subjects, but according to the 2007 European Best Practice Guidelines on hemodynamic instability, asymptomatic IDH was defined in 27 (38.6%) patients. The results demonstrated a significant correlation (r = 0.492) (p < 0.05) between asymptomatic IDH and elevated postdialysis levels of cTnI. In 2-year follow-up of patients, ACS and cardiac death happened more in patients with elevated cTnI. Conclusion The results of our study suggest that asymptomatic IDH affects cTnI levels. Given that cTnI is a marker of myocardial damage and a predictor of cardiovascular mortality in ESRD patients, these findings recommend that considering the asymptomatic decrease in blood pressure levels during HD is very important and critical.

MO741: Poor Agreement between Physical Examination and Bioimpedance Spectroscopy in the Detection of Hypervolemia in Haemodialysis Patients

Abstract BACKGROUND AND AIMS Assessment of dry-weight among patients on haemodialysis is challenging in the absence of reliable markers to define overhydration (OH) [1, 2]. This study aimed to explore the value of two simple clinical signs, the presence of pedal oedema and crackles at pulmonary auscultation, in diagnosing hypervolemia, using the bioimpendence spectroscopy as a more objective method. METHOD In a cohort of 107 asymptomatic dialysis patients, the volume status was assessed with physical examination and bioimpedance spectroscopy shortly before the mid-week dialysis session [3]. Patients were also asked to perform home blood pressure (BP) monitoring with a validated, automatic device (HEM-705, Omron, Healthcare) [4] for 1 week in order to determine their BP control status. RESULTS Patients within the high tertile of pre-dialysis OH had longer dialysis vintage, lower serum albumin and higher home systolic BP, despite the more aggressive treatment with a higher average number of antihypertensives daily. In receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, pedal oedema [area under curve (AUC): 0.534, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.416–0.651] and pulmonary crackles (AUC: 0.551; 95% CI 0.432–0.671) had limited accuracy in the diagnosis of pre-dialysis OH &amp;gt; 2.2 L. The agreement of pedal oedema (Cohen's k-coefficient: 0.065) and pulmonary crackles (Cohen's k-coefficient: 0.122) with bioimpedance spectroscopy in the detection of hypervolemia was poor. In multivariate linear regression analysis, longer dialysis vintage (β: 0.306; P&amp;lt;0.001) and higher home systolic BP (β: 0.287; P&amp;lt;0.01) were the two factors that were independently associated with pre-dialysis OH. CONCLUSION This diagnostic-test study showed that among asymptomatic hemodialysis patients, pedal oedema and pulmonary crackles in physical examination had limited discriminatory power in the detection of hypevolemia, as assessed more objectively with the method of bioimpedance spectroscopy.

Monthly measurement of high-sensitivity cardiac troponins T and creatine kinase in asymptomatic chronic hemodialysis patients: A one-year prospective study.

BackgroundCardiology guidelines recommend measuring high‐sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs‐cTn) for the diagnostic work‐up of acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Many hospitals measure hs‐cTnT, but preliminary data have shown that hs‐cTnT is higher than normal in many hemodialysis patients without evidence of ACS. The purpose of this study was therefore to determine the hs‐cTnT levels every month for 1 year in asymptomatic hemodialysis patients, in order to assess their changes over time relative to creatine kinase.MethodsFourty‐four hemodialysis patients (mean age 67 ± 14 years) were included. The predialysis levels of fifth‐generation hs‐cTnT, CK, and CK‐MB were measured every month for 1 year using a Cobas® 6000 analyzer (Roche Diagnostics, Switzerland).ResultsAlmost 100% of hs‐cTnT measurements were higher than normal (N < 14 ng/L); the mean ± SD annual level was 84 ± 59 ng/L, ranging from a minimum of 24 ± 2 to 241 ± 28 ng/L in individual patients. The mean levels of CK and CK‐MB were normal. Thirteen myocardial infarctions were analyzed, which were all associated with an initial elevation in hs‐cTnT >45% from the individual baseline value. By comparison, CK and CK‐MB only increased in 38% and 31% of these myocardial infarctions, respectively.Discussionhs‐cTnT is persistently higher than normal in chronic hemodialysis patients. Standard algorithms for diagnosing ACS can obviously not be used and alternative diagnostic strategies need to be developed. According to our data, and given the huge variation in baseline hs‐cTnT levels among patients, the use of higher cut‐offs as proposed in the literature cannot be recommended. Instead, we consider that hs‐cTnT should be checked at regular intervals (e.g., every 3–6 months) in order to establish individual baseline levels for hs‐cTnT. This approach, in most instances, not only makes it possible to more rapidly rule‐in but also to rapidly rule‐out, cases of ACS in hemodialysis patients who develop cardiac symptoms.

MO748CORONARY ARTERY CALCIUM SCORE IN ASYMPTOMATIC PATIENTS RECEIVING CHRONIC HAEMODIALYSIS

Abstract Background and Aims Vascular calcification has been reported to be an independent predictor of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular (CV) events in patients with end-stage renal disease. Even in previously asymptomatic patients, early years of haemodialysis (HD) are associated with high CV morbidity and mortality rates. Thus, it is important to precisely and timely identify individuals at risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) who would benefit from further CV treatment. Coronary artery calcium score (CACS) is an accurate tool for noninvasive assessment of CAD. This study aimed to evaluate CACS in asymptomatic HD patients in early years of treatment. Method This multicentric observational study included 60 patients receiving chronic HD for less than 4 years, with neither signs nor symptoms of CV disease. All patients underwent multislice computed tomography to identify coronary artery calcifications according to the standard procedure. CACS was calculated by the Agatston method individually for the left main, left circumflex, left anterior descending, and right coronary arteries and then summed to calculate the total CACS for each patient. Patients were distributed based on CACS: group 1 with CACS = 0, group 2 with CACS ranging from 1 to 400, and group 3 with CACS &amp;gt; 400. Results Nine patients (89% men) had CACS = 0, 34 (47% men) had CACS 1-400, and 17 (76.5% men) had CACS &amp;gt; 400 (χ2 = 7.467; p = 0.024). The mean age was 51±7, 61±12 and 64±8 years in groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively (p = 0.016). Patients in group 1 were significantly younger than patients in group 2 (p = 0.046) and group 3 (p = 0.012). The highest percentage of men was observed in group 1 (x2 = 7,668; p = 0.022). Other investigated demographic characteristics (dialysis vintage, body mass index, smoking history, family CV history, systolic and diastolic blood pressure), comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes, hyperparathyroidism, hyperlipidemia) and therapy (angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, statins, vitamin D, CaCO3, dialysate-magnesium concentration) did not differ significantly between the investigated groups. CACS showed statistically significant negative correlation with the serum iron (σ = - 0.351; p = 0.007), while other laboratory parameters (including calcium phosphate product) did not show statistically significant correlations. Conclusion Older age and low serum iron are associated with higher CACS in asymptomatic patients in the early years of HD. Therefore, these patients should be closely monitored for the early signs of CV disease.

Serum Cardiac Biomarkers in Asymptomatic Hemodialysis Patients: Role of Soluble Suppression of Tumorigenicity-2

Introduction: Cardiovascular events (CVE) remain the leading cause of mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The ability to assess the risk of short-term CVE is of great importance. Soluble suppression of tumorogenicity-2 (sST2) is a novel biomarker that better stratifies risk of CVE than troponins in patients with heart failure. Few studies have investigated the role of sST2 in the HD population. The aim of this single-center study was to assess the predictive ability of sST2 on CVE in comparison to high-sensitive cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) in HD patients. Methods: This study used a prospective, observational cohort design. We enrolled 40 chronic HD patients asymptomatic for chest pain and without recent history of acute coronary syndrome. We tested sST2 pre-/post-HD, hs-cTnI, and BNP. Demographic/dialytic/echocardiographic data were evaluated. We recorded the number of CVE for 12 months. The patients were classified into 2 groups: those who developed CVE and those who did not. Results: Ten of the 40 patients (25%) developed CVE during a 12-month follow-up. Increased sST2 levels (p < 0.0001) as well as hs-cTnI and BNP are predictive of CVE. When analyzing biomarkers as binary variables for values above or below the normal range, the correlation remained significant only for sST2 (p = 0.001). A small variation in sST2 levels before and after HD sessions was found (−2.1 ng/mL). sST2 was correlated with left ventricular (LV) echocardiographic data: LV mass index (p = 0.0001), LV ejection fraction (p = 0.01), and diastolic bulging of septum (p = 0.015). BNP and sST2 combination increased the prediction of CVE in a statistical model. Conclusion: Our study confirms that sST2 is useful for stratifying CV risk in the HD population. sST2 can be evaluated simply as a dichotomous value higher or lower than the normal range, making it easily interpretable. Dialysis and residual diuresis did not affect significantly sST2. A multimarker approach that incorporates sST2 and BNP may improve the prediction of CVE.

Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Specific Antibodies in Asymptomatic Hemodialysis Patients

ABSTRACT Background Since the outbreak of the new coronavirus pandemic, the importance of carrying out an infection check to prevent acquisition and transmission among end-stage renal disease patients (ESRD) under maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) has become a major concern in the health care system. Applying serology screening tests could enlighten the view with regards to disease prevalence in dialysis wards. Methods We subjected 328 end-stage renal disease patients to maintenance hemodialysis. After dividing patients into suspicious and non-suspicious groups for COVID-19 infection based on their clinical manifestation, they were investigated for SARS-CoV-2 specific IgM and IgG screening against nucleoprotein (NP), spike protein (SP), and receptor-binding domain (RBD), utilizing our recently developed ELISA tests. Results We found that approximately 10.1% of asymptomatically tested cases were antibody positive. Although IgG positivity showed a higher prevalence than IgM across all three virus antigen subunits, there were no significant differences among mentioned immunoglobulins of the studied groups. The most prevalent antibody was from the IgG subtype against virus nucleoprotein (NP), while the lowest prevalence was attributed to receptor-binding domain (RBD) IgM. Conclusion High seropositive rate among asymptomatic end-stage renal disease patients, as a sample of high-risk population, reflected the importance of considering SARS-CoV-2 specific antibody screening for disease containment.

Role of Endoluminal Catheter Colonization Surveillance Cultures to Reduce Catheter-Related Blood Stream Infections in Hemodialysis Patients

Background: Central Venous Catheter (CVC) use as vascular access to the systemic circulation is highly vital for Hemodialysis (HD) patients. Catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) is the main complication of CVC use. Aim of the work: To assess the use of surveillance cultures (SCs) to prevent CRBSIs in asymptomatic HD patients. Patients and Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted on eighteen HD patients with CVC, admitted to Dialysis Units of Benha University Hospitals and Meet Ghamr Nephrology and Urology Hospital during the period from October 2016 to March 2017. Endoluminal colonization of the catheter was assessed every 15 days by inoculating ~5 - 10 mL of endoluminal blood into aerobic blood culture bottles. Individual patients were triaged based on SC results: group 1 (negative); group 2 (coagulase-negative Staphylococcus [CoNS] with time-to-positivity (TTP) >14 hours); group 3 (CoNS with TTP ≤14 hours); and group 4 (any microorganism other than CoNS with any TTP or CoNS with Differential Time to Positivity (DTP) more than 120 minutes). Results: A total of 60 SCs were collected with a mean number per patient of 3.3. Of which 24 SCs (40%) were negative (group 1), and 36 SCs (60%) were positive (0 in group 2, 6 in group 3, and 30 in group 4). Under this protocol, the incidence density of CRBSI was 10.8 episodes per 1000 catheter days. Conclusion: SCs based on easily accessible samples proved useful in triaging HD patients at a high risk of infection.

COVID-19 Outbreak in a Large Hemodialysis Center in Lombardy, Italy

COVID-19 Outbreak in a Large Hemodialysis Center in Lombardy, Italy

Parathyroidectomy Influences Coronary Artery Calcium Score in Asymptomatic Hemodialysis Patients with Secondary Hyperparathyroidism

Background: Successful parathyroidectomy (PTX) with stable postoperative parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels is associated with the stabilization of coronary artery calcification score (CACS) in patients with severe secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) undergoing hemodialysis. To use computed tomography (CT) to evaluate the influence of PTX on CACS in asymptomatic patients. Methods: This study was performed with institutional review board approval. Written consent was obtained from each patient. Forty-eight patients (mean age ± SD 54.50 ± 13.14 years; range 33–77 years) undergoing maintenance hemodialysis who underwent PTX and 56 patients (mean age 55.28 ± 12.32 years; range 35–76 years) who did not undergo PTX received prospective follow-up for 2 years. CACS was quantitatively performed using the Agatston method after CT scan. The differences between baseline and end-of-study PTX parameters were analyzed with the paired Student t test. Results: For patients who underwent PTX, mean square root of CACS did not increase from 23.16 ± 18.58 to 23.68 ± 18.16 (t = 1.846, p = 0.072) from baseline to follow-up. In patients who did not undergo PTX, mean square root of CACS increased from 20.21 ± 16.47 to 28.72 ± 20.95 (t = 10.110, p < 0.001) from baseline to follow-up. In addition, the median annual progression rate of CACS was lower among PTX patients (4.89%), compared with the marked annual progression rate of CACS in non-PTX patients (52.81%; t = 11.264, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Dysregulation of calcium and phosphate metabolism caused by SHPT may result in significant CAC progression in asymptomatic hemodialysis patients. Low PTH state after PTX may stabilize CAC progression in hemodialysis patients.

Prognostic value of high-sensitive cardiac troponin I in asymptomatic chronic hemodialysis patients.

Increased levels of cardiac troponins (cTn) are a hallmark of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), along with symptoms and electrocardiographic (ECG) changes. Stably elevated cTn concentrations are frequently observed in asymptomatic patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and/or on hemodialysis (HD); the meaning of this elevation, as assessed by conventional techniques, remains unclear. Aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical significance of cTnI levels in asymptomatic HD patients by employing a newer high-sensitive cTnI (hs-cTnI) assay. We enrolled 49 patients undergoing regular HD treatment for more than 3months; all patients were asymptomatic for chest pain and had no history of acute coronary syndrome in the past 2months. For every patient we measured hs-cTnI, cTnI and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) before initiation of one HD session at baseline (T0), after 3 (T1) and 9months (T2). Demographic, anamnestic, dialytic and echocardiographic characteristics of the examined population were evaluated. We also recorded the number of cardiovascular events from T0 to 12months after T2. Fifteen patients were lost to follow-up: 6 died, 2 underwent kidney transplantation, 7 did not match the inclusion criteria later during observation. At T0 (49 patients) we observed 14 hs-cTnI positive patients vs. 4 standard c-TnI positive patients (28,5% vs 8,1%); at T1 (40 patients) 16 vs 3 (26.4% vs 7.5%); at T2 (34 pz) 9 vs 0 (26.4% vs 0%). During the study we recorded 10 cardiovascular events, 8 of which in patients that were hs-cTNI positive, leading to death in 3. Hs-cTnI levels were predictive of cardiovascular events at all times and predictive of cardiovascular mortality at T0 and T1 (p < 0.001). In a multivariate analysis, a history of coronary artery disease (CAD) was an independent variable of high hs-cTnI levels at T0 (p < 0.04) and T1 (p < 0.03). Our study shows that a novel sensitive assay detects more asymptomatic HD patients compared to previously used methods, being at the same time predictive of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. The only independent variable of high hs-cTnI concentrations was a positive history of cardiovascular disease, suggesting a possible role of hs-cTnI in identifying a high-risk subset of patients.

Diastolic dysfunction in asymptomatic hemodialysis patients in the light of the current echocardiographic guidelines.

The prevalence of the left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is very high in end-stage renal disease treated by hemodialysis. Diastolic dysfunction is a frequent consequence and leads to the development of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. New American/European echocardiographic guidelines for the assessment of diastolic function simplified the evaluation and were published recently. The aim of this study was to reveal if the new guidelines stratify asymptomatic hemodialysis patients by the levels of brain-natriuretic peptide (BNP). A cohort of 46 patients hemodialyzed in one center with the lack of overt heart failure, systolic dysfunction, arrhythmia or significant valvular disease were examined by echocardiography before and after a single hemodialysis and blood samples for BNP analysis were drawn at both occasions. The LVH was present in 53% of patients, concentric remodeling in another 17%. Higher indexed left ventricular mass was related to higher BNP levels (r = 0.58, p = 0.0001). Before hemodialysis, diastolic dysfunction was present in 61%: grade 1 in 25%, grade 2 in 21% and grade 3 in 8%. The higher grade of diastolic dysfunction was associated with the incremental increase of BNP. The post-dialysis echocardiography did not allow the assessment of diastolic function in as many as 37% of patients. Our study has shown that the application of the current guidelines for the assessment of diastolic function based on simple four criteria differentiate hemodialysis symptomless patients with preserved systolic function according to BNP levels. BNP levels also rose together with the left ventricular mass. The ratio E/e' medial seemed to be a better predictor of increased BNP than E/e' lateral or E/e' averaged.

High sensitivity Troponin-I levels in asymptomatic hemodialysis patients

Reduction in renal clearance and removal by hemodialysis adversely affect the level and utility of high-sensitivity troponin I (hsTnI) for diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Furthermore, HD process itself might cause undesirable myocardial injury and enhance post HD hsTnI levels. This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted to compare the hsTnI levels between 100 asymptomatic HD patients and their 107 matched non-chronic kidney disease (CKD) population. The hsTnI levels in HD group were higher than non-CKD group [median (IQR): 54.3 (20.6–152.7) vs. 18 (6.2–66.1) ng/L, p < .001)]. The hsTnI levels reduced after HD process from 54.3 (20.6–152.7) ng/L in pre-HD to 27.1 (12.3–91.4) ng/L in post-HD (p = .015). Of interest, 25% of HD patients had increment of hsTnI after HD and might represent HD-induced myocardial injury. The significant risk factors were high hemoglobin level and high blood flow rate. In conclusion, the baseline hsTnI levels in asymptomatic HD patients were higher than non-CKD population. The dynamic change of hsTnI over time would be essential for the diagnosis of AMI. Certain numbers of asymptomatic HD patients had HD-induced silent myocardial injury and should be aggressively investigated to prevent further cardiovascular mortality.

Carotid Artery Intima-Media Thickness and Heart Valve Calcifications in Hemodialysis Patients with Hyperparathyroidism (A Pilot Study)

Objective: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is currently the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The aim of this study was to examine carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) and valvular calcification in asymptomatic hemodialysis (HD) patients, to compare them with healthy subjects, and to identify risk factors associated with atherosclerosis.

Prospective Validation of a Screening Biomarker Approach Combining Amino-Terminal Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide With Galectin-3 Predicts Death and Cardiovascular Events in Asymptomatic Hemodialysis Patients

Cardiovascular (CV) disease is a major cause of death in hemodialysis patients. Biomarkers used to identify high-risk asymptomatic patients would allow early evaluation of cardiac dysfunction and appropriate therapeutic intervention. Amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and galectin-3 (Gal-3) may serve this purpose. Plasma levels of NT-proBNP and Gal-3 were measured in 173 patients. Patients were prospectively followed for occurrences of major CV events or death. The association of NT-proBNP and Gal-3 with outcome was analyzed. The prognostic abilities for the combined outcome of Gal-3 and/or NT-proBNP were evaluated. During a median follow-up of 36 months, there were 47 incident outcomes (death and CV events). In the univariable Cox analysis, age, hypertension, albumin, phosphorus levels, and combined elevation of NT-proBNP with Gal-3 above the median (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.65, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.45-9.21) were associated with outcomes. In multivariable Cox analysis, both NT-proBNP and Gal-3 values above the median remained associated with outcomes (HR = 3.34, 95% CI = 1.30-8.56). In clinically asymptomatic dialysis patients, combined use of NT-proBNP and Gal-3 may improve risk stratification for death and CV events.

Troponin I Levels in Asymptomatic Hemodialysis Patients

Background: End-stage renal disease (ESRD) represents a situation in which persistently elevated levels of cardiac troponins I (cTnI) are frequently found in the absence of clinically evident cardiac disease. Moreover, the effect of hemodialysis (HD) on cTnI levels is not definitively elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of HD on cTnI levels in ESRD patients. Methods: We enrolled 30 asymptomatic ESRD patients on maintenance HD. All the patients were dialyzed thrice weekly. We compared each other's cTnI levels obtained before HD sessions (pre-HD) and cTnI levels obtained before and after HD sessions (post-HD). Results: The median value of baseline cTnI, measured before the first dialysis session of the week, was 0.018 ng/mL (interquartile range 0.012-0.051) and elevated levels (>0.034 ng/mL) were found in 9 (30%) patients. Pre-HD cTnI levels showed a statistically significant decrease between the first and the second weekly HD sessions (from 0.018 to 0.016 ng/mL; p = 0.002), while no difference was observed between the second and the third sessions over the week. Finally, no statistically significant differences were found between pre-HD and post-HD cTnI levels, considering each HD session and the averaged cTnI values. Conclusions: Our results indicate that HD does not significantly affect cTnI levels. Even when statistically significant, the observed changes were without clinical relevance indicating that HD does not affect by itself the diagnostic accuracy of cTnI assay in ESRD patients.

Association Between New Cardiac Biomarkers and Cardiovascular Abnormalities in Asymptomatic Hemodialysis Patients

Association Between New Cardiac Biomarkers and Cardiovascular Abnormalities in Asymptomatic Hemodialysis Patients