These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Serum beta2-microglobulin level is a significant predictor of mortality in maintenance haemodialysis patients.
    Author: Okuno S, Ishimura E, Kohno K, Fujino-Katoh Y, Maeno Y, Yamakawa T, Inaba M, Nishizawa Y.
    Journal: Nephrol Dial Transplant; 2009 Feb; 24(2):571-7. PubMed ID: 18799606.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND: Beta(2)-microglobulin (beta(2)-M) is recognized as a surrogate marker of middle-molecule uraemic toxins and is a key component in the genesis of dialysis-associated amyloidosis. Few studies have evaluated the association of beta(2)-M levels with clinical outcome in dialyzed patients. METHODS: The prognostic implication of serum beta(2)-M levels for the survival of haemodialysis patients was examined in 490 prevalent haemodialysis patients (60.1 +/- 11.8 years, haemodialysis duration of 87.4 +/- 75.7 months, 288 males and 202 females; 24% diabetics). The patients were divided into two groups according to their serum beta(2)-M levels: lower beta(2)-M group (n = 245) with serum beta(2)-M <32.2 mg/L (the median serum beta(2)-M) and higher beta(2)-M group (n = 245) with that >or=32.2 mg/L. RESULTS: During the follow-up period of 40 +/- 15 months, there were 91 all-cause deaths, and out of them, 36 were from cardiovascular diseases. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that all-cause mortality in the higher beta(2)-M group was significantly higher compared to that in the lower beta(2)-M group (P < 0.001). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analyses showed that serum beta(2)-M level was a significant predictor for all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01-1.08; P = 0.005), and for non-cardiovascular mortality (hazard ratio, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.02-1.10; P = 0.006), after adjustment for age, gender, haemodialysis duration, the presence of diabetes, serum albumin and serum C-reactive protein. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that the serum beta(2)-M level is a significant predictor of mortality in haemodialysis patients, independent of haemodialysis duration, diabetes, malnutrition and chronic inflammation, suggesting the clinical importance of lowering serum beta(2)-M in these patients.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]