Different inflammatory markers, brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), and brachial intima-media thickness (bIMT) were measured in 50 patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 3 to 4 with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and 35 age- and gender-matched controls. The bIMT was significantly increased in the patients with CKD compared with controls (0.43 mm [0.42, 0.45] vs 0.34 mm [0.32, 0.36]; P < .001). There was no significant difference in FMD between the study groups (4.7% vs 5.3%; P = .56). There were significant correlations between bIMT and high-sensitive C-reactive protein, vascular cellular adhesion molecule 1, tumor necrosis factor, and interleukin 6 (P < .05). However, eGFR adjusted for age and gender was the best predictor of bIMT. In conclusion, bIMT and inflammatory markers were increased in patients with CKD compared with the controls. Furthermore, significant correlations between bIMT and inflammatory activity in patients with CKD were observed. The eGFR adjusted for age and gender was the best predictor of bIMT.
Keywords: ICAM-1; IL-6; TNF; VCAM-1; atherosclerosis; endothelial function; flow-mediated dilatation; intima-media thickness; predialytic kidney failure.