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The relationship between serum fetuin a levels and fetuin gene polymorphism in hemodialysis patients

Atila Altuntas, Ayse Yigit, Efkan Uz, Salih Inal, Veysel Kidir, B

Introduction: Fetuin A, also called Heramans Schmid alpha 2 glycoprotein (AHSG), is one of the important proteins that inhibit vascular calcification. In this study, we aimed to evaluate relationship between AHSG gene polymorphism and fetuin A levels.

Materials and methods: 152 patients receiving regular hemodialysis treatment and 61 healthy controls were included to this cross-sectional study. Serum fetuin-A levels were assessed by ELISA method. Thr256Ser and Thr248Met gene polymorphisms are determined by PCR-RFLP.

Results: Serum fetuin A level in hemodialysis patients (330.5 ± 171.2 mg/L) was significantly lower as compared to control group (382.9 ± 138.5 mg/L) (p=0.001). Significant negative correlation between fetuin-A and C-reactive protein (CRP) (r=-0.28, p<0.0001) was found. The distribution of Thr256Ser and Thr248Met gene polymorphisms in hemodialysis and control groups were similar. In hemodialysis group, serum fetiun A levels in the patients with genotype Thr/Thr (n=94, 366.9 ± 184.2 mg/L) were found to be singnificantly higher than in the patients with genotype Thr/Ser (n=52, 278.1 ± 132.7 mg/L) and Ser/Ser (n=6, 212.5 ± 63.3 mg/L) (respectively; p=0.005, p=0.022). Unlike Thr256Ser polymorphism, serum Fetuin-A levels did not differ between Thr248Met gene polymorphism genotypes.

Conclusion: The current study showed that HD patients with altered polymorphism of the AHSG Thr256Ser gene appear to be a negative prognostic factor on serum Fetuin-A levels. In other words, it can be speculated that fetuin-A Thr256Ser gene polymorphism, particularly genotypes Thr/Ser and Ser/ Ser, may be an additional promoting risk factor for vascular ossification in HD patients.