Modern peptide biomarkers and echocardiography in cardiac healthy haemodialysis patients

Cardiac biomarkers of heart failure in chronic kidney disease

Heart failure remains a continuing threat to patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Although various heart failure biomarkers have been applied for early detection, diagnosis and prognosis in CKD, these are easily affected by renal insufficiency thus limiting use in these patients. In this review, the major four groups of heart failure biomarkers are explored. These include those associated with: myocardial stretch, ie, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), N-terminal pro-BNP (NT-proBNP) and mid-regional proatrial natriuretic peptide (MR-proANP); myocyte injury, ie, high-sensitivity troponin T (hsTnT), heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP); fibrosis, matrix remodelling and inflammation, ie, soluble growth stimulating gene 2 (sST2), galectin-3 (Gal-3), growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15); and renal function, ie, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), cystatin C (CysC), urinary sodium and urinary albumin. This review highlights classic heart failure biomarkers with critical values adjusted to glomerular filtration rate, summarizes research progress of new heart failure biomarkers and future research directions. Because diagnostic and prognostic usefulness of a single time point biomarker is limited, biomarkers should be combined and monitored at multiple times for optimal clinical impact.

Dialysate copeptin and peritoneal transport in incident peritoneal dialysis patients

Purpose

Systemic and intraperitoneal inflammation are characteristic features of patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing chronic peritoneal dialysis (PD). Arginine vasopressin (AVP) and its surrogate marker copeptin play important roles in many pathophysiological processes in chronic kidney disease. The aim of this study was to assess if copeptin concentrations in plasma and dialysate were related to peritoneal transport parameters and residual renal function (RRF) in incident PD patients.

Methods

In 37 clinically stable incident PD patients (mean age 50 years, 68% women, 32% diabetes), a 4 h peritoneal equilibration test (PET) was performed 4–6 weeks after the onset of PD. Plasma (at 2 h of PET) and dialysate (at 4 h) concentrations of copeptin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were determined.

Results

Plasma (80.7 ± 37.3 pg/mL) and dialysate (33.2 ± 18.0 pg/mL) concentrations of copeptin were correlated (Rs = 0.52, p = 0.001). Plasma and dialysate copeptin concentrations were negatively correlated with renal function as assessed by renal Kt/V (Rs = − 0.38; p = 0.021 and Rs = − 0.33; p = 0.047, respectively). At PET, dialysate copeptin negatively correlated with D/P creatinine (Rs = − 0.35, p = 0.033), and positively with D/D0 glucose (Rs = 0.33, p = 0.045) and ultrafiltration (Rs = 0.37, p = 0.024). Multivariate analysis showed that low dialysate copeptin (β = –0.30, p = 0.049) and high dialysate IL-6 (β = + 0.40, p = 0.012) were independent determinants of higher D/P creatinine.

Conclusions

Dialysate copeptin was negatively associated with D/P creatinine in incident PD patients suggesting a potential influence of copeptin or AVP on peritoneal solute transport rate that might involve vasoactive mechanisms.