CHRONIC RENAL-FAILURE AND ATHEROGENESIS - SERUM FACTORS STIMULATE THE PROLIFERATION OF HUMAN ARTERIAL SMOOTH-MUSCLE CELLS

To assess the role of serum factors in the genesis of accelerated vascular disease in chronic renal failure, human arterial smooth muscle cells (SMC) and dermal fibroblasts were grown in culture and the effects of serum from chronic dialysis patients on cell proliferation was studied. Exposure to serum from these renal failure patients was associated with significantly greater growth of both SMC and fibroblasts than that observed with control serum. A portion of this mitogenic effect appears to be related to the presence of a factor(s) which is heat stable, dialysable and is contained in the lipoprotein deficient fraction of plasma of density greater than 1.25 g/dl. Circulating substances which stimulate the proliferation of SMC may contribute to accelerated cardiovascular disease in patients undergoing chronic dialysis treatment.