Correlation analysis between serum leucine-rich α2-glycoprotein-1 level and degree of atherosclerosis in maintenance hemodialysis patients

Objective  To explore the relationship between serum level of leucine-rich α2-glycoprotein-1（LRG1） and the degree of atherosclerosis in maintenance hemodialysis（MHD） patients.

Methods  From January 2016 to January 2020, 160 MHD patients were selected as research subjects and their general profiles and laboratory parameters recorded. Intima-media thickness（IMT） of carotid artery was measured by color Doppler ultrasonography. They were assigned into three groups of normal（n = 55）, endometrial thickening（n = 58） and plaque（n = 47）. Normal group was composed of 28 males and 27 females with an average age of （50.26 ± 7.94）（40-80） year; Endometrial thickening group had 30 males and 28 females with an average age of （60.72 ± 8.63）（41-80） year; Plaque group included 26 males and 21 females with an average age of （70.14 ± 8.28）（40-80） year. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was utilized for measuring the serum level of LRG1. Pearson/Spearman’s correlation was employed for analyzing the correlation between IMT and general profiles, laboratory parameters and serum level of LRG1; multivariate logistic regression was performed for examining the influencing factors of atherosclerosis in MHD patients.

Results When comparing plaque, endometrial thickening and normal groups, LRG1 was （83.74 ± 9.94） vs （67.95 ± 8.65） vs （52.46 ± 8.73） mg/L, age （70.14 ± 8.28） vs （60.72 ± 8.63） vs （50.26 ± 7.94） years, dialysis time （38.72 ± 6.49） vs （33.48 ± 6.50） vs （29.72 ± 6.78） month, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C） （2.52 ± 0.61） vs （1.89 ± 0.59） vs （1.42 ± 0.62） mmol/L and total cholesterol（TC） （4.21 ± 1.02） vs （3.52 ± 0.78） vs （2.96 ± 0.81） mmol/L. All were significantly higher in plaque group than those in endometrial thickening and normal groups. And the differences between each group were statistically significant（P＜0.05）. IMT was correlated positively with LRG1, age, dialysis time, LDL-C and TC（r = 0.534, 0.509, 0.512, 0.492, 0.489, P＜0.05）. And LRG1 and age were independent risk factors for atherosclerosis in MHD patients（P＜0.05）.

Conclusion  With advancing degree of atherosclerosis, serum level of LRG1 rises. And LRG1 is correlated positively with IMT. It implied that detecting serum level of LRG1 aids in evaluating the degree of carotid atherosclerosis in MHD patients.