Concentration of ghrelin in stable haemodialysed patients with heart failure

Ghrelin is a 22 amino acid peptide mainly synthesized and released in the stomach. However, it is also expressed in other tissues and organs including the kidney and heart. Elevated ghrelin concentration was described in heart failure and chronic kidney disease. Both entities often coexist. The aim of the study was to assess the possible correlations between ghrelin, preproghrelin, some echocardiographic parameters and NYHA class in stable haemodialysed patients. In patients with NYHA class III and IV levels of ghrelin and preproghrelin were significantly lower when compared to patients with NYHA class I. Patients with NYHA class IV were significantly older, with lower residual renal function, shorter dialysis vintage, higher end-diastolic left ventricular dimension, end-systolic left ventricular dimension, lower ejection fraction, higher cholesterol, LDL, and lower triglycerides than patients with NYHA class I. Statistically significant correlations were observed between ghrelin and HDL, presence of hypertension, the marker of dialysis adequacy Kt/V, as well as between preproghrelin and age, HDL, NYHA class and ghrelin. Lowered ghrelin and preproghrelin concentration in haemodialysed patients with heart failure could be due to past myocardial infarction.