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The following is a summary of “Associations between inflammatory markers and carotid plaques in CKD: mediating effects of eGFR–a cross-sectional study,” published in the October 2024 issue of Nephrology by Wang et al. 

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is linked to carotid plaques, atherosclerosis, and increased cardiovascular risks, with inflammation contributing to kidney and heart complications. 

Researchers conducted a cross-sectional study to examine the link between inflammatory markers and carotid plaques in patients with CKD, assessing the mediating role of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). 

They conducted a cross-sectional analysis of Patients of Nephrology (January–June 2023) using ultrasound to assess carotid plaques. Logistic regression and trend tests examined associations between inflammatory markers and plaques, with restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis for non-linear relationships and subgroup analyses for consistency. Mediation analysis assessed the role of eGFR. 

The results showed that of 609 participants, 387 were included in the final analysis. Elevated levels of LnSIRI (OR = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.25–2.80), LnSII (OR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.09–2.56), LnAISI (OR = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.22–2.37), LnMHR (OR = 1.94, 95% CI = 1.15–3.26), LnNHR (OR = 1.82, 95% CI = 1.10–3.02), and LnMLR (OR = 2.26, 95% CI = 1.18–4.34) were significantly associated with carotid plaques. Significant trends were observed for increasing tertiles of SIRI, AISI, MHR, and NHR. RCS analysis revealed no significant non-linear associations, while subgroup analyses showed similar results across most strata. eGFR partially mediated these relationships, with mediation proportions ranging from 14.7 to 17.5%. 

The study concluded that inflammatory markers are linked to carotid plaques in patients with CKD, with eGFR partially mediating this relationship. 

Source: bmcnephrol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12882-024-03826-1