Procalcitonin as a Marker of Comorbid Atrial Fibrillation in Chronic Kidney Disease and History of Sepsis. (12th June 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bontekoe, Jack; Bansal, Vinod; Lee, Justin; Syed, Mushabbar; Hoppensteadt, Debra; Maia, Paula; Walborn, Amanda; Liles, Jeffrey; Vasaiwala, Smit; Fareed, Jawed
• Is Part Of: Clinical and applied thrombosis/hemostasis. Volume 26(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-06-12
• Subjects: atrial fibrillation -- sepsis -- chronic kidney disease -- hemodialysis -- procalcitonin -- biomarkers; Hemostasis -- Periodicals; Thrombosis -- Periodicals; 616.13
• DOI: 10.1177/1076029620932228
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1076-0296

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease and infection are the leading causes of mortality in patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis (CKD5-HD). Inflammation is a large component in the pathogenesis of both atrial fibrillation (AF) and sepsis and may link these conditions in CKD5-HD. Procalcitonin (PCT) is an inflammatory biomarker elevated in systemic infection and CKD5-HD, yet its value with regard to comorbid AF has not been thoroughly investigated. The aim of this study sought to evaluate circulating inflammatory markers, including PCT, Angiopoietin-1, Angiopoetin-2, CD40-L, C-reactive protein, d -dimer, and von Willebrand factor in relation to these conditions. Plasma levels of inflammatory markers were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay method in CKD5-HD (n = 97) patients and controls (n = 50). Procalcitonin levels were significantly elevated ( P = .0270) in CKD5-HD with comorbid AF compared to those without AF. Further analysis of patients with a history of sepsis demonstrated significantly elevated levels of PCT ( P = .0405) in those with comorbid AF (160.7 ± 39.5 pg/mL) compared to those without AF (117.4 ± 25.3 pg/mL). This study demonstrates that the inflammatory biomarker PCT is further elevated in the presence of both AF and a history of sepsis in hemodialysis patients and suggests that underlying chronic inflammation following sepsis resolution may place these patients at greater risk of developing AF.