Association of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein levels and gene polymorphism with the risk of chronic kidney disease

ABSTRACT

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a heparin-specific growth factor specific for vascular endothelial cells and induces angiogenesis via binding to vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR). Chronic kidney disease (CKD), accompanied by microvascular disease, is recognized as an irreversible reduction of renal function. The effects of VEGF on CKD risk were evaluated in this study. 121 CKD patients and 50 healthy volunteers were evaluated in the current study. Data mining using the China Biological Medicine (CBM) and NCBI/PubMed databases, was performed and applicable investigations were pursued. Pooled mean differences (MD) and pooled odds ratios (OR), with corresponding confidence intervals (CIs), were calculated by meta-analysis. The levels of Scr, BUN and VEGF in the CKD group were significantly higher, when compared with the control group (P < 0.01). For the meta-analysis, thirteen articles and our current study were evaluated. VEGF levels was found to be associated with CKD risk (P < 0.00001). In the sub-group meta-analysis, we found that the pooled MD of VEGF levels was related to the early CKD group, although the difference was not notable. However, the meta-analysis itself indicated that the pooled MD of VEGF levels were in accordance with severe CKD group (P < 0.00001). Furthermore, VEGF +936C/T T allele was not associated with CKD risk (P = 0.69). VEGF levels are apparently associated with CKD risk, especially in more severe CKD. Gene polymorphism analysis indicates that the VEGF +936C/T T allele is not associated with CKD risk.

KEYWORDS:

• Chronic kidney disease (CKD)
• vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)
• +936C/T
• gene polymorphism
• meta-analysis

Acknowledgements

We would like to express our special appreciation for all patients participating in this study, and the authors would like to gratefully acknowledge the most helpful comments on this paper received from Professor Hong Qian, Karolinska Institutet.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Abbreviations

VEGF	=	vascular endothelial growth factor
CKD	=	chronic kidney disease
Scr	=	serum creatinine
BUN	=	blood urea nitrogen

Data availability statement

All data generated of this study are included in the published article. The data used in this study are available on request from the corresponding author.

Ethics approval

This study was approved by the ethics committee of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Shantou University Medical College. Written informed consent were given to all the participants prior to the collection of samples.

Informed consent

All authors consent to the submission of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Guangdong Medical Science and Technology Research Fund Project (no. B2020017).