Soluble Fas: A novel marker of inflammation in uremia

Background: Inflammation has been associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) and anemia in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Recent studies have shown that serum levels of soluble Fas (sFas), an antiapoptotic and proinflammatory molecule, are elevated in patients with cardiac disease and patients with ESRD. We therefore sought to investigate serum levels of sFas in uremic patients and its correlation with known markers of inflammation, anemia and CVD. Methods: The study included 25 ESRD patients (14 on hemodialysis, 11 on CAPD), 27 patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD; creatinine clearance <50 ml/min/1.73 m(2) ), and 14 normal control subjects. We measured serum levels of sFas, C-reactive protein (CRP), and albumin. We also investigated the association of serum sFas levels with the presence of CVD and with erythropoietin (EPO) dosage. Results: Levels of sFas were elevated in CKD and ESRD patients compared to controls. sFas levels correlated negatively with creatinine clearance. In the dialysis patients, we observed that sFas levels were higher among those with CVD. Serum levels of sFas correlated with serum levels of CRP (r=0.31; P =0.03), serum levels of albumin (r=-0.35, P =0.02), and EPO dosage (r=0.51; P =0.009). Conclusion: These results suggest that sFas may be a marker of inflammation in CKD and ESRD patients.