MO777HISTOLOGICAL AND IMMUNOPHENOTYPICAL VESSEL CHANGES IN CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE
Authors: Lysitska Aikaterini , Galanis Nikiforos , Skandalos Ioannis , Mitsopoulos Eustathios , Antoniadis Nikolaos , Papagianni Aikaterini , Stangou Maria 
Published: May 2021

Abstract

Background and Aims
Recent studies suggest thw possibility of activating immune mechanism in the onset and progression of atherosclerotic disease. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of immune mechanisms in the vessel of patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and the association with clinical and laboratory indicators of atherosclerosis.

Method
Patients with CKD stage V, in whom a radiocephalic arteriovenous fistula (RC-AVF) was created, were included in the study. Patients were divided in two groups, group A was consisted of patients who were on stage V, pre-dialysis, and being prepared to start on hemodialysis (HD), and those who had already been on HD for at least 3 years, and were having a new RC-AVF formation, due to previous failure, group B.
Inclusion criteria were: age 25-80 years, gradual deterioration of renal function up to stage V or under dialysis for more than 3 years. All patients should have been under close follow up for at least 3 years prior to enrolment, with adequate control of diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, secondary hyperparathyroidism and anemia.
The control group included healthy volunteers of similar age, sex and ethnicity, who agreed to have a radial artery biopsy during an orthopedic procedure because of a fracture. All patients were informed and signed the consent form.
Patients’ history, primary disease and comorbid conditions, medication and clinical examination were recorded based on hospital outpatients’ files. Prior to the scheduled day of RC-AVF creation, all patients underwent laboratory examination, included hematological and serum biochemical analyses.
The histological characteristics, inflammatory activation and immunophenotypic alterations of the radial artery wall were estimated and their association with the severity of calcification and atherosclerosis were studied.
Presence and severity of atherosclerotic lesions in CKD patients was assessed based on the measurement of common carotid intima – media thickness (IMT) of the common and internal carotid on both sides.

Results
Significant correlation was fount between inflammatory infiltration [expression of CD3(+), CD20(+), CD68(+) cells], cellular activation [CD34(+), a-SMA(+) cells] and calcification regulators (MPG, RANKL, OPG) with the degree of vascular calcification, as this was estimated and classified based on Verhoff’s Elastic and von Kossa staining
Forty five patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), stage V, either pre-dialysis (p=25) (group A) or on hemodialysis (HD) (p=20) (group B) were included in the study. There were no significant differences in age, sex, race, and also in the frequency of hypertension, diabetes mellitus or smoking habits between patients and controls.
Presence and severity of atherosclerotic lesions in CKD patients was assessed based on the measurement of common carotid intima – media thickness (IMT) of the common and internal carotid on both sides.

Conclusion
Atherosclerotic disease in Chronic KidnEy Disease and its clinical effects appear to be directly related to inflammatory ifiltration of blood vessels by T, B lymphocytes, macrophages and myofibrolasts, as well as factors that affect calcification.