The Association between Serum Retinol-Binding Protein 4 Levels and Cardiovascular Events in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease.

Objective: The study aimed to assess whether serum retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) is associated with a risk of cardiovascular (CV) events in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.

Methods: One hundred sixty-nine patients with CKD were followed for a mean of 36 months (range, 5-39 months). Serum RBP4 and other laboratory indicators were measured at baseline. The relationship between RBP4 and the risk of CV events was evaluated by using Cox regression analysis.

Results: Patients with higher serum RBP4 levels had a higher rate of CV events and a higher mortality in a univariate analysis (P < 0.001). The multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis revealed that RBP4 (hazard ratio, 2.259; 95% confidence interval, 2.067-5.489; P = 0.002) is an independent prognostic factor for CV events in patients with CKD. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that patients with RBP4 above the median value (>33.86 mg/L) had a higher rate of CV events than did patients with RBP4 at or below the median value (≤33.86 mg/L; P < 0.001).

Conclusion: RBP4 levels are associated with CV events in patients with CKD. Elevated serum RBP4 levels may indicate an increased risk of CV complications in CKD patients.