#3103 omentin-1 and subclinical atherosclerosis in eskd patients undergoing hemodialysis and in kidney transplant recipients

Abstract Background and Aims In end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients, atherosclerosis is a key-player for cardiovascular risk, being influenced by endothelial dysfunction, inflammation and mineral dysmetabolism. Omentin-1 is an adipokine involved in various pathological conditions (diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity), and has recently been studied as a prognostic factor for atherosclerosis progression and mortality in the general population. In this study, we evaluated the possible relationships between Omentin-1 and incipient carotid atherosclerosis in the clinical setting of ESKD. Method Circulating blood Omentin-1 levels were measured in a cohort of 77 asymptomatic ESKD patients (40 kidney transplant recipients, Ktx and 37 chronic hemodialysis patients, HD) and in 30 healthy controls. Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) was measured before a single HD session or before a Ktx outpatient visit. Pathological cIMT was defined for mean values > 0.9 mm and/or an unilateral cIMT above the 75th percentile. Results Omentin-1 levels were higher in the entire ESKD cohort than in healthy controls (324 [90.3-770] vs. 110 [35.4-240.9] pg/ml; p = 0.03). Ktx patients had lower levels than HD patients (p = 0.01) while higher Omentin-1 levels were found in HD patients (474.9 [197.2-1432.1] ng/ml) compared to both healthy subjects (p = 0.009) and Ktx (p = 0.01). Mean cIMT in all ESKD was 0.78 ± 0.32 mm. 36 patients (46.7%) with pathological cIMT values displayed lower Omentin-1 levels as compared with others (168.7 [51.1-457.8] vs 474.9 [197.2-1432.1] and p = 0.004). Multivariate correlations analyses indicated Omentin-1 as the stronger independent predictor of carotid atherosclerosis (β-0.687; p = 0.03) in the whole cohort, even more than age, total cholesterol and diastolic BP. Conclusion In ESKD patients, Omentin-1 reflects the severity of carotid atherosclerosis independently from traditional confounders and may serve as an additive biomarker for risk prediction and risk stratification. Future studies are awaited to confirm these preliminary findings in larger cohorts.