Evaluation of C-reactive Protein Levels in Nigerian Dialysis Patients

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases are prevalent in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD). It is estimated to be responsible for 43.6% of all deaths in patients with end stage renal disease. Atherosclerotic outcomes have been shown by earlier studies to contribute significantly to these cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Thus, assessment of C-reactive protein (CRP) values in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is important due to the known role of high levels of CRP in the pathogenesis of atherothrombosis. This cross-sectional study evaluates the levels of C-reactive protein in Nigerian dialysis patients. Fifty seven dialysis patients were studied. The mean CRP value was significantly higher in the dialysis patients compared with the control group 222.19± 96.39mg/L. Vs 8.7± 9.6mg/L, p<0.05. This could be attributed to the higher incidence of infection related tropical nephropathies as the underlying aetiology of renal failure in our patients. Patients with acute renal failure had significantly higher CRP levels compared with patients with chronic renal failure 267.91± 46.39mg/L vs 209.92± 102.86mg/L, p<0.05. This observation is due to the fact that active sepsis was present in 90% of the acute renal failure patients dialyzed. It was concluded that baseline C-reactive protein levels are high in our dialysis patients. Practicing nephrologists in Nigeria need to be aware of the potential heavy burden that cardiovascular diseases may pose on the clinical outcomes of CKD treatment.

Keywords: C-reactive Protein, Inflammatory Marker, Haemodialysis

Nigerian Journal of Health and Biomedical Sciences Vol. 7 (2) 2008: pp. 22-25