Serum adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein level is positively associated with aortic stiffness in nondialysis chronic kidney disease patients: A cross-sectional study

Aortic stiffness (AS) is a major predictor of cardiovascular disease and mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (A-FABP) is a novel adipokine that is positively correlated with AS in the general population. Therefore, we investigated the correlation between serum A-FABP levels and AS in nondialysis CKD patients. Fasting blood samples and baseline characteristics were obtained in 270 patients with nondialysis CKD. Serum A-FABP concentrations were determined by enzyme immunoassay and carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) measurements were acquired using a validated tonometry system. Patients with cfPWV >10 m/s formed the AS group, while those with values ≤10 m/s comprised the comparison group. Among 270 CKD patients, 92 patients (34.1%) were in the AS group. Compared to those in the comparison group, patients in the AS group were older (P < .001), had a higher prevalence of diabetes, along with higher serum A-FABP level (P < .001), larger waist circumference (P = .004), and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (P = .001) but higher levels of body fat mass (P = .010), systolic blood pressure (P < .001), fasting glucose (P = .014), blood urea nitrogen (P = .009), and serum creatinine (P = .004). The serum log-A-FABP level was positively associated with log-cfPWV (β = 0.178, P = .001) in nondialysis CKD patients and multivariable logistic regression analysis identified serum A-FABP (P = .006), age (P = .001), and systolic blood pressure (P = .015) as independent predictors of AS in nondialysis-dependent CKD patients. Elevated A-FABP levels may be a significant predictor of AS in nondialysis CKD patients.