Objective: Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase and is considered as a risk factor for atherosclerosis. The role of ADMA in survival prediction of hemodialysis (HD) patients is not clear. We decided to compare ADMA as a prognostic factor with selected risk factors for overall mortality in this group of patients. Design: Observational, prospective study. Settings: Institute of Clinical Biochemistry and Hematology and 1st Department of Internal Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty Hospital in Pilsen; Dialysis Centre B. Braun Avitum in Pilsen, Czech Republic. Material and Methods: We analyzed ADMA levels by ELISA method, C-reactive protein (CRP) measured by ultrasensitive method, homocysteine (hcy), albumin (alb), troponin I (cTnI) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in serum of 202 chronically HD patients (77 females, 125 males; median age [interquartile range] = 68 [60–74] years). At the time of statistic analysis, there were 44 deaths in our study population (median [interquartile range] follow-time was 17.1 [10.4–17.3] months). We tested each measured parameter as a predictor of patients’ survival in a Cox proportional hazard model (adjusted for age, sex and duration of HD treatment). Results: Relative risks (RR) of overall mortality with their 95% confidence intervals (CI) for all measured parameters were [data are presented as follows: cut-off point; RR (CI)]: ADMA 1.14 to 1.3 μmol/l; 2.44 (1.24–4.79), hcy 34.1 to 41.8 μmol/l; 1.81 (0.89–3.68), CRP > 21.8 mg/l; 2.28 (1.17–4.43), alb < 35.4 g/l; 3.29 (1.63–6.63), cTnI > 0.04 μg/l; 2.18 (1.14–4.17) and BNP > 1485 ng/l; 1.23 (0.62–2.45). Conclusion: From all measured variables ADMA, alb, CRP and cTnI statistically significantly predicted overall mortality in HD patients. Nevertheless, ADMA doesn’t seem to have a clinical value in survival prediction of HD patients.

        Key words: asymmetric dimethylarginine, hemodialysis, survival, troponin I, brain natriuretic peptide