Circulating endoglin concentration is not elevated in chronic kidney disease

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 6; no. 8; p. e23718
• Main Authors: Charytan, David M, Helfand, Alexander M, MacDonald, Brian A, Cinelli, Angeles, Kalluri, Raghu, Zeisberg, Elisabeth M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 19.08.2011; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Albumin; Analysis; Angiogenesis; Antigens, CD - blood; Biology; Bone morphogenetic proteins; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases - etiology; Case-Control Studies; Chronic kidney failure; Coronary vessels; Creatinine; Development and progression; Diabetes; Disease Progression; Endoglin; Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Epidermal growth factor receptors; Excretion; Glomerular filtration rate; Health risks; Homeostasis; Hospitals; Humans; Hypertension; Kidney diseases; Kidney Failure, Chronic - blood; Kidney Failure, Chronic - complications; Kidneys; Laboratories; Medical research; Medicine; Middle Aged; Nephrology; Nitric oxide; Pathogenesis; Patients; Physiological aspects; Proteins; Receptors, Cell Surface - blood; Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta; Regression analysis; Renal function; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic - blood; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic - complications; Rodents; Transforming growth factors; Vascular endothelial growth factor; Veins & arteries; Womens health; Young Adult; United States > US; Massachusetts
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0023718

Soluble endoglin, a TGF-β receptor, plays a key role in cardiovascular physiology. Whether circulating concentrations of soluble endoglin are elevated in CKD or underlie the high risk of cardiovascular death associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is unknown. Individuals with and without CKD were recruited at a single center. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was estimated using the modified MDRD study equation and the serum creatinine at the time of recruitment, and patients were assigned to specific CKD stage according to usual guidelines. Serum endoglin concentration was measured by ELISA and univariate and multivariable regression was used to analyze the association between eGFR or CKD stage and the concentration of soluble endoglin. Serum endoglin was measured in 216 patients including 118 with stage 3 or higher CKD and 9 individuals with end stage renal disease (ESRD). Serum endoglin concentration did not vary significantly with CKD stage (increase of 0.16 ng/mL per 1 stage increase in CKD, P = 0.09) or eGFR (decrease -0.06 ng/mL per 10 mL/min/1.73 m(2) increase in GFR, P = 0.12), and was not higher in individuals with ESRD than in individuals with preserved renal function (4.2±1.1 and 4.3±1.2 ng/mL, respectively). Endoglin concentration was also not significantly associated with urinary albumin excretion. Renal function is not associated with the circulating concentration of soluble endoglin. Elevations in soluble endoglin concentration are unlikely to contribute to the progression of CKD or the predisposition of individuals with CKD to develop cardiovascular disease.