Protein Z and vitamin K in kidney disease.

PURPOSE

Disturbances in hemostasis are common complications of kidney diseases. Both bleeding diathesis and thromboembolism may complicate the course of chronic uremia. As far as we know, there is a limited data about protein Z in kidney disease.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The aim of our work was to examine plasma protein Z and vitamin K concentrations in nephrotic syndrome (n = 34), glomerulonephritis (n = 48), kidney transplant recipients (n = 80), peritoneally dialyzed patients (n = 42) and in the healthy volunteers (n = 27).

RESULTS

Vitamin K was significantly lower in nephrotic syndrome when compared to non-nephrotic patients, CAPD and healthy volunteers (p < 0.05). Protein Z was the highest in CAPD and kidney transplant recipients when compared to any other group. In nephrotic syndrome protein Z was significantly lower when compared to the healthy volunteers, but it did not differ significantly between two groups of patients with chronic renal failure (with and without nephrotic syndrome). Protein Z correlated only with fibrinogen in CAPD, glomerulonephritis and nephrotic patients. Vitamin K correlated with age and albumin in patients with glomerulonephritis, nephrotic syndrome as well as with albumin in CAPD.

CONCLUSIONS

Alterations in protein Z might contribute to the enhanced risk of thromboembolic complications in nephrotic syndrome, CAPD and Tx via different and unknown mechanisms. This phenomenon seems to be unrelated to vitamin K status in these patients.