Correlation Between Heat-Shock Protein 27 Serum Concentration and Common Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Hemodialysis Patients

Introduction. Cardiovascular disease is a major factor in the deterioration of the health and the death of hemodialysis patients. Previous studies have mainly shown a decreased level of heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) in patients with cardiovascular disease. We conducted this study to investigate whether HSP27 correlates with common carotid intima-media thickness (CCIMT) and if it has a potential to be a biomarker for cardiovascular disease. Materials and Methods. In this cross-sectional study, the correlation between HSP27 serum concentration and CCIMT was investigated in 42 hemodialysis patients. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method was used to measure HSP27 level in the plasma of the patients, and a high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography was applied to measure CCIMT. Results. There was an inverse significant correlation between serum concentration of HSP27 and CCIMT only in patients that had hypertension as their only cardiovascular risk factor (r = -0.61, P = .02). Conclusions. According to our results and the fact that HSP27 has been shown to be expressed in atherosclerotic plaques of both experimental animals and humans, we suggest that circulatory HSP27 concentration has a potential of being used as a marker for cardiovascular events.