Abstract

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor is involved in the processof atherogenesis. Increased oxidative stress has been reported in hemodialyzed patients, but its influenceon vascular endothelial growth factor levels remains unknown. Material/Methods: The levels of two oxidativestress markers, Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase and autoantibodies against oxidized LDL, and the level ofvascular endothelial growth factor were measured in pre-dialysis samples of hemodialyzed patients withand without cardiovascular disease and in healthy controls. Results: Vascular endothelial growth factorlevels were significantly increased in both hemodialysis groups compared with controls (all p

Keywords: Autoantibodies - blood, Atherosclerosis - etiology, Biological Markers - blood, Cardiovascular Diseases - etiology, Case-Control Studies, Lipoproteins, LDL - immunology, Renal Dialysis, Superoxide Dismutase - blood, Uremia - therapy, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - blood