Fibroblast growth factor 23, hepatocyte growth factor, interleukin-6, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor. Inflammation markers in chronic haemodialysis patients?

Sera from 84 haemodialysis (HD) patients and 68 healthy blood donors were analysed with commercially available ELISA techniques for fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), interleukin-6 (Il-6), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR), to find a possible correlation of FGF-23 and HGF with the earlier recognized inflammatory markers Il-6 and hs-CRP or suPAR. All patients studied had significantly elevated levels of FGF-23, HGF, hs-CRP and suPAR as compared to the controls. Il-6 and hs-CRP correlated for patients (R = 0.6) as well as for patients and controls altogether. Ln (natural logarithm) of HGF correlated weakly with Ln Il-6 and Ln CRP (R 0.28-0.37). Ln FGF-23 correlated only with Ln HGF (r = -0.25) in controls. Ln HGF correlated with ln suPAR (r = 0.6) in both patients and controls. Although elevated as compared to controls, we found no correlation of FGF-23 with the recognized inflammatory markers Il-6, hs-CRP, nor HGF or the new marker suPAR in HD patients. Ln HGF correlated with Ln Il-6, Ln CRP and Ln suPAR. Although probably involved in vessel disease, FGF-23 and HGF may play other roles than acting in inflammatory vessel disease in HD patients. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the role of these immunological markers in chronic haemodialysis patients with atherosclerosis.