Precedent Fluctuation of Serum hs-CRP to Albumin Ratios and Mortality Risk of Clinically Stable Hemodialysis Patients

BACKGROUND A high sensitivity C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (hs-CRP/Alb) predicts mortality risk in patients with acute kidney injury. However, it varies dynamically. This study was conducted to evaluate whether a variation of this marker was associated with long-term outcome in clinically stable hemodialysis (HD) patients. METHODS hs-CRP/Alb was checked bimonthly in 284 clinically stable HD outpatients throughout all of 2008. Based on the "slope" of trend equation derived from 5-6 hs-CRP/alb ratios for each patient, the total number of patients was divided into quartiles--Group 1: β≦ -0.13, n = 71; group 2: β>-0.13≦0.003; n = 71, group 3: β>0.003≦0.20; and group 4: β>0.20, n = 71. The observation period was from January 1, 2009 to August 31, 2012. RESULTS Group 1+4 showed a worse long-term survival (p = 0.04) and a longer 5-year hospitalization stay than Group 2+3 (38.7±44.4 vs. 16.7±22.4 days, p<0.001). Group 1+4 were associated with older age (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.01-1.05) and a high prevalence of congestive heart failure (OR = 2.02, 95% CI = 1.00-4.11). Standard deviation (SD) of hs-CRP/Alb was associated with male sex (β = 0.17, p = 0.003), higher Davies co-morbidity score (β = 0.16, p = 0.03), and baseline hs-CRP (β = 0.39, p<0.001). Patients with lower baseline and stable trend of hs-CRP/Alb had a better prognosis. By multivariate Cox proportional methods, SD of hs-CRP/alb (HR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.01-1.08) rather than baseline hs-CRP/Alb was an independent predictive factor for long-term mortality after adjusting for sex and HD vintage. CONCLUSION Clinically stable HD patients with a fluctuating variation of hs-CRP/Alb are characterized by old age, and more co-morbidity, and they tend to have longer subsequent hospitalization stay and higher mortality risk.