The possibility of using citrulline as a new biochemical marker to evaluate the state of kidney under cardiovascular pathologies

The aim of our work was to study the level of citrulline in serum as a biochemical marker of the functional state of the kidneys in patients with cardiovascular pathologies. Methods. The study included 134 patients aged 41-68 years, of which 40 patients with stage II arterial hypertension (AG-II) and 62 patients with chronic heart failure (AG in combination with chronic ischemic heart disease) in the IIa and IIb stages. The control group included 32 practically healthy persons of the corresponding age. Along with standard diagnostic methods, the content of citrulline in serum was determined. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 10.0 for Windows. Results. There is a direct relationship between the increase in the content of citrulline and the severity of changes in the parameters of the functional state of the kidneys in patients with AG-II and CHF. At the same time, the fact that the content of citrulline in serum is much higher compared to the control values in patients with normal values of GFR, creatinine and microalbuminuria. As the increase in the content of citrulline directly correlates with the degree of deterioration of the functional state of the kidneys, and the kidneys are the only organ that regulates and controls the exchange of citrulline, the increase in its level in serum can be primarily associated with changes in kidney function in the examined patients. Conclusions. The content of citrulline in serum can be used as an additional marker for the presence of functional renal impairment in patients with cardiovascular and other diseases of the internal organs, especially in the early stages of development, as well as to assess the efficacy and safety of the use of drugs. This indicator needs further study involving more patients with different pathologies of the cardiovascular system and simultaneous monitoring of the functional status of the kidneys by standardized methods.