Abstract
BACKGROUND: Both inflammation and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are related to cardiovascular disease. Whether inflammatory biomarkers are associated with impaired glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is unclear in hypertensives. METHODS: We recruited hypertension patients from the cardiovascular clinic of a tertiary medical center in Taiwan. GFR was calculated using the 7-item Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) study equation and impaired GFR (IGFR) was defined as GFR less than 60 ml/min/1.73 m(2). High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) kits were used for the measurement of the CRP levels. RESULTS: In our study, 572 consecutive hypertensive patients were enrolled. The range of patient age was 26-91 years (mean 60.5 ± 11.7), and hsCRP and GFR ranged from 0.01 to 9.99 mg/L and 16.6 to 239.6 ml/min//1.73 m(2), respectively. HsCRP levels were correlated with GFR (p = 0.01) and the presence of IGFR (p = 0.009). Multivariate regression analysis showed hsCRP (p = 0.03), age (p < 0.001) and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) (p = 0.002) are independent factors associated with GFR. Furthermore, hsCRP levels [odds ratio (OR) = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.03-1.31, p = 0.02], age (OR = 1.09, 95% CI = 1.07-1.12, p < 0.001), and UACR (OR = 1.02, 95% CI = 1.01-1.04, p < 0.001) independently predicted the presence of IGFR using binary logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Information obtained from our study showed that hsCRP is associated with IGFR in hypertensives. KEY WORDS: Chronic kidney disease; C-reactive protein; Glomerular filtration rate; Hypertension; Inflammation.