Osteoprotegerin and Vascular Dysfunction in Patients with Stage 3 Chronic Kidney Disease and Those without Renal Dysfunction: A Case-Control Study

Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is a marker of vascular calcification and cardiovascular risk in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study aimed to compare and correlate OPG values with flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) measurements in patients in stage 3 CKD and those without renal dysfunction. This case-control study was conducted in a specialized hypertension center in 2022. A total of 79 patients over 18 years of age participated in the study. The case group consisted of 30 patients with moderate renal dysfunction (CKD stage 3) and the control group included 49 individuals with glomerular filtration rate ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73 m2. The significance level adopted in the statistical analysis was 5%. Central pulse pressure (cPP), PWV, and augmentation index (AIx) were higher in patients with renal dysfunction. The serum OPG level positively correlated with peripheral and central systolic blood pressure, cPP, PWV, and AIx. Conversely, the serum OPG did not correlate with FMD. OPG and PWV are possible biomarkers of vascular dysfunction that are altered in patients with moderate renal dysfunction. Despite limitations of this study, including that it was a case-control study conducted at a single center, it has the potential, as a proof of concept, to generate the hypothesis of OPG and PWV as biomarkers of early vascular damage in this population.