%0 Journal Article
%T Association between serum beclin 1 level and cardiac valvular calcification in hemodialysis patients.
%A Hebah HA
%A Kamel HM
%A Bastawy IM
%A Ahmed FA
%J Curr Probl Cardiol
%V 49
%N 5
%D 2024 May 16
%M 38492612
%F 16.464
%R 10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2024.102519
%X <B>BACKGROUND: </B>Cardiovascular calcification is a pervasive issue throughout chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression. Autophagy, a fundamental cellular process, exerts significant influence on various cardiac pathologies, including arrhythmias, atherosclerosis, heart failure, and notably, valvular, and vascular calcifications. Beclin-1, a crucial eukaryotic protein, plays a major regulatory role in autophagy as part of the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) complex. Recent evidence suggests a protective role for Beclin-1-mediated autophagy in CKD vascular calcification, raising its potential as a novel therapeutic target in this context.<BR><B>UNASSIGNED: </B>Investigate the association between serum Beclin 1 levels and the presence of cardiovascular valvular calcification in hemodialysis patients.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>This study evaluated a cohort of 102 hemodialysis patients, evenly divided into two groups based on echocardiographic findings. All participants underwent serum Beclin 1 measurement and transthoracic echocardiography. Patients with acute kidney injury, active malignancy, or diabetes were excluded. Our study revealed significant differences between the two groups in terms of: Serum Beclin 1 levels, all parameters of lipid profile, prevalence of ischemic heart disease, serum albumin levels and Total calcium. Echocardiography in Group 1 showed that most cases (60.78%) exhibited mild aortic valve calcification. Additionally, significant relationships were observed between Beclin 1 and: ischemic heart disease (p=0.011) Aortic valve calcification on echocardiography (p < 0.001) Interestingly, lower Beclin 1 levels were associated with more severe valve calcification. A Beclin 1 cutoff value of ≤ 35.5 ng/ml demonstrated the highest sensitivity (98%) and specificity (92%).<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>Our findings suggest that the serum Beclin 1 level could be incorporated into a predictive model for cardiac valvular calcification in hemodialysis patients.