Prognostic values of cardiac biomarkers screening in dialysis patients

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have an increased cardiovascular (CV) risk and a higher mortality rate. This case report aims to reveal the prognostic value of cardiac biomarkers in patients with CKD stage 5 on dialysis. Several biomarkers have proven their utility for early detection of CV risk in dialysis patients. Most promising biomarkers are: N-terminal pro–B-type (NT-proBNP), high sensitivity cardiac troponin T (Hs–cTnT), Cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) and Galectin-3 (GAL-3). We report the case of a 44 year-old woman with end stage renal disease on dialysis without any cardiac pathology, but who had, at screening evaluation, high values of cardiac biomarkers, with increasing levels of NT-proBNP at serial determination; Hs-cTnT was constant. Recently, our patient was admitted in cardiology unit with unstable ischemic cardiopathy. In this context, we review the prognostic value of cardiac biomarkers in CV morbidity and mortality. The particularity of this case was the preemptive assessment of cardiac biomarkers. High serum levels of these biomarkers, in a patient without any cardiac concerns at evaluation moment, should promote for early invasive investigations.