الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a worldwide public health problem with an increasing incidence and prevalence, poor outcomes and high cost. CKD is a progressive disease characterized by an increasing inability of the kidney to maintain normal low levels of the products of protein metabolism (e.g., urea), normal blood pressure and hematocrit and sodium, water, potassium, and acid-base balance.
Patients with chronic kidney disease, irrespective of the cause, are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), including coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, and heart failure.
Pentraxin 3 (PTX3), a recently identified member of the pentraxin family, is referred to as a long pentraxin and contains a unique PTX3 domain not found in C-reactive protein ( CRP) or serum Amyloid P component (SAP). In contrast to CRP, PTX3 is produced from the major cell types involved in atherosclerotic lesions, namely vascular endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, macrophages, and neutrophils in response to inflammatory stimuli.
The aim of the present work was to study serum Pentraxin-3 levels in patients with CKD and in those maintained on hemodialysis and to correlate its level with other risk factors (both traditional and non-traditional) and carotid intima- media thickness.
This study included 90 patients who were divided into three groups:
Group I:
Thirty patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 (Pre-dialysis group) were included. They were 16 females and 14 males. Their ages ranged between 25-78 years with a mean 47.2 ± 11.6 years.
Group II:
Thirty patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on chronic hemodialysis program (Hemodialysis group) for more than 3 months with functioning native arteriovenous fistula were included. They were 13 females and 17 males. Their ages ranged between 25-78 years with a mean 44.2 ± 14.2 years.