Fetuin-A as A Marker of Vascular Calcification in Chronic Kidney Disease

Multiple factors contribute to vascular calcification in chronic kidney disease. Fetuin-A is known for its potent inhibitory effects on ectopic calcification Objectives: To determine the association between fetuin-A levels and vascular calcification in chronic kidney disease patients. Methods: 90 samples were collected from patients admitted to the Nephrology ward of Shahida Islam Medical Complex, Lodhran due to renal disease, and 90 samples were collected from normal healthy subjects. Patients with congestive heart failure, use of hormonal contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy, malignancy, pregnancy and with a history of trauma or surgery within a month were excluded. Mann-Whitney was applied to test Serum Fetuin A between cases and controls keeping p<0.05 as statistically significant. Results: Of 90 cases and 90 controls, 63 male (70%) and 27 female (30%) were in cases and 45 (50%) male and female were in the control group. the cases exhibited lower levels of Fetuin-A (0.4416 ± 0.17 g/L) compared to the controls (0.752 ± 0.176 g/L). The clustering revealed a possible association between the severity of chronic kidney disease and decreased Fetuin-A levels. The values ranged from as low as 0.034 to a peak at 2.132 g/L, with several outliers distributed across the chronic kidney disease stage. Conclusions: It was concluded that comparing fetuin-A levels in chronic kidney disease patients to controls revealed a significant correlation. Patients had lower levels of fetuin-A compared to controls.