Prognostic values of C-reactive protein levels on clinical outcome after endovascular therapy in hemodialysis patients with peripheral artery disease

PurposeEndovascular therapy (EVT) has been widely performed for peripheral artery disease. However, the high restenosis rate after EVT remains a major problem in patients on hemodialysis. Recent studies suggest that C-reactive protein (CRP) reflects vascular wall inflammation and can predict adverse events. We evaluated the possible prognostic values of CRP on outcomes in hemodialysis patients undergoing EVT.MethodsA total of 234 hemodialysis patients undergoing EVT for peripheral artery disease were enrolled and followed-up for up to 5 years. They were divided into tertiles according to serum CRP levels (lowest tertile, <1.4 mg/L; middle tertile, 1.4-6.0 mg/L; highest tertile, ≥6.0 mg/L). We analyzed the incidence of any reintervention or above-ankle amputation of the limb index (RAO) and any-cause death.ResultsKaplan-Meier analysis showed that the event-free rate from the composite end point of RAO and any-cause death for 5 years was 60.2% in the lowest tertile, 50.0% in the middle tertile, and 25.1% in the highest tertile (P < .0001). The survival rate from any-cause death for 5 years was 81.5% in the lowest tertile, 65.2% in the middle tertile, and 59.3% in the highest tertile (P =.0078). Even after adjusting for other risk factors at baseline, preprocedural CRP levels were a significant predictive factor for RAO and any-cause death after EVT in a multivariable Cox analysis.ConclusionsElevated preprocedural serum CRP levels were associated with RAO and any-cause death after EVT in hemodialysis patients with peripheral artery disease.