• Savas Sipahi, Ahmed Bilal Genc, Seyyid Bilal Acikgoz, Mehmet Yildirim, Yakup Ersel Aksoy, Mehmet Bulent Vatan, Hamad Dheir, and Mustafa Altındis.
• Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Sakarya University Faculty of Medicine, Sakarya, Turkey.
• Singap Med J. 2019 Apr 1; 60 (4): 210-215.

IntroductionIn patients undergoing haemodialysis, cardiovascular mortality and morbidity, characterised by accelerated atherosclerosis and increased inflammation, are elevated. Salusins are newly defined molecules in the atherosclerotic processes, and while salusin-alpha (Sal-α) acts as an antiatherogenic factor, salusin-beta (Sal-β) has a proatherogenic role. Their roles are as yet undefined in patients undergoing haemodialysis.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, salusin levels, carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) from the common carotid artery and pulse wave velocity (PWV) were measured for 180 patients undergoing haemodialysis and 90 healthy controls.ResultsMean Sal-α and Sal-β levels in patients undergoing haemodialysis (Sal-α: 726.4 ± 578.7 pg/mL; Sal-β: 1,080.4 ± 757.1 pg/mL) and healthy controls (Sal-α: 325.8 ± 303.7 pg/mL; Sal-β: 268.1 ± 409.0 pg/mL) were determined. Negative correlation was observed between Sal-α levels and CIMT (patients undergoing haemodialysis: r = -0.330, p < 0.0001; healthy controls: r = -0.223, p = 0.035) and PWV (patients undergoing haemodialysis: r = -0.210, p = 0.005; healthy controls: r = -0.378, p < 0.0001) in both groups. In patients undergoing haemodialysis, positive correlation was observed between Sal-β/Sal-α ratio and CIMT (r = 0.190, p = 0.012) and PWV (r = 0.155, p = 0.041). On subgroup analysis, Sal-α levels were found to be low in patients with diabetes mellitus.ConclusionPatients undergoing haemodialysis have higher Sal-β and Sal-α levels, and their higher Sal-β/Sal-α ratio, in comparison with healthy controls, might have cardiovascular risk implications.Copyright: © Singapore Medical Association.

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