Risk factors for predicting venous thromboembolism in patients with nephrotic syndrome: focus on haemostasis-related parameters.

PURPOSE: The venous thromboembolic events (VTE) incidence is high in nephrotic syndrome (NS). We aimed to assess prospectively the risk of VTE in a large cohort of NS patients and to identify predictive factors for VTE, especially haemostasis-related parameters. METHODS: This is the prospective, observational study conducted in 256 adults with idiopathic NS. VTE were the study outcome. Clinical data, proteinuria, albuminuria, haemostasis and fibrinolysis parameters, and D-dimers were evaluated every 6 months. RESULTS: Median follow-up time was 24 [IQR 12­72] months. VTE cumulative and rate incidence were 11 % and 4.4 per 100 patient-years. Baseline higher proteinuria,lower serum albumin, low antithrombin III activity, and,surprisingly, high ionized calcium were VTE independent predictors. Proteinuria and serum albumin cut-offs, and positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV) for VTE were 9.0 g/24 h (30 % PPV and 90 % NPV) and 1.5 g/dL (69 % PPV and 93 % NPV). CONCLUSIONS: The rate of VTE incidence of 4.4 per 100 patient-years found in this prospective study confirms the idiopathic nephrotic syndrome as a thromboembolism-generating condition. Severe and unremitting proteinuria and hypoalbuminemia,low antithrombin III activity, and, surprisingly, high ionized calcium are independent VTE predictors.

Predictive Factors for Coronary Artery Disease among Peritoneal Dialysis Patients without Diabetic Nephropathy.

OBJECTIVES: Scientific literature indicates that the risk of coronary heart disease morbidity and death among peritoneal dialysis patients exceeds risk observed in non-renal patients. The aims of this study were to establish the independent predictors associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease in peritoneal dialysis patients without diabetic nephropathy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A number of 116 end-stage renal disease patients without diabetic nephropathy undergoing peritoneal dialysis were evaluated for coronary heart disease and predictive risk factors were investigated and identified. Also intima-media thickness measurements, as an early sign of atherosclerosis, were analyzed in a subset of patients in correlation with a number of traditional and non-traditional cardiovascular risk factors. RESULTS: The study sample was found to be characterized by a high prevalence of traditional risk factors: hypertension (95.7%), dyslipidemia (93.1%) and metabolic syndrome (58.6%), but also of dialysis-related risk factors: inflammation (82.8%) and anemia (55.2%). Independent variables found to be associated in regression analysis with coronary heart disease were: age, smoking status, nephroangiosclerosis, albumin, C-reactive protein and iPTH levels. Intima-media thickness was significantly higher in patients with coronary heart disease, values greater than 0.89 mm being associated with increased risks for coronary heart disease, acute coronary syndrome and cardiovascular death. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors in these peritoneal dialysis patients is extremely high, but there are also some other factors involved, especially malnutrition and inflammation. Age higher than 55 years, smoking, albumin less than 3.5 g/dl, iPTH less than 150 pg/ml and nephroangiosclerosis were associated with highest odds ratio for coronary heart disease. An increasing CRP levels was associated with an increasing gradient for coronary heart disease risk.