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Association between AST-120 and abdominal aortic calcification in predialysis patients with chronic kidney disease

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Abstract

Background

Vascular calcification is associated with mortality and cardiovascular events in patients with chronic kidney disease. AST-120, which adsorbs uremic toxins, is reported to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and death in chronic kidney disease patients. The aim of the current study was to investigate the association between abdominal aortic calcification and the use of AST-120 in predialysis chronic kidney disease patients.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was conducted including 199 predialysis chronic kidney disease patients (stages 4 and 5) who underwent abdominal plain computed tomography in our institution between 2005 and 2010. Abdominal aortic calcification was assessed by aortic calcification index (ACI). Patients were divided into two groups based on whether or not AST-120 was administered for at least six months, and ACI was compared between the two groups.

Results

The aortic calcification index was significantly lower in patients taking AST-120 [12.2 (2.5–30.3) vs. 25.7 (13.4–45.3) %, P < 0.001]. According to multivariate linear regression analysis, the use of AST-120 was independently and significantly correlated with ACI after adjusting for confounding factors.

Conclusions

The use of AST-120 was independently associated with less aortic calcification in predialysis chronic kidney disease patients.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Masako Morii for assisting with data collection. Preliminary results of this study were presented in part at the American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week 2011 Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA, USA, on November 10, 2011.

Conflict of interest

HF has received research grants from Kureha Corporation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Nephrology and Kidney Center, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0017, Japan

    Shunsuke Goto, Ken Kitamura, Keiji Kono, Kentaro Nakai, Hideki Fujii & Shinichi Nishi

Authors
  1. Shunsuke Goto
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  2. Ken Kitamura
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  3. Keiji Kono
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  4. Kentaro Nakai
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  5. Hideki Fujii
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  6. Shinichi Nishi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hideki Fujii.

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Goto, S., Kitamura, K., Kono, K. et al. Association between AST-120 and abdominal aortic calcification in predialysis patients with chronic kidney disease. Clin Exp Nephrol 17, 365–371 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10157-012-0717-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10157-012-0717-0

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