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Background: Placental growth factor (PlGF) is a member of the vascular endothelial growth factor family that acts as a pleiotropic cytokine capable of stimulating angiogenesis and accelerating atherogenesis. Soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) antagonizes PlGF action. Higher levels of PlGF and sFlt-1 have been associated with cardiovascular events in patients with chronic kidney disease, yet little is known about their relationship with adverse outcomes in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD). The aim of this study was to investigate the association of PlGF and sFlt-1 with technique survival and cardiovascular events. Methods: We measured serum levels of PlGF and plasma levels of sFlt-1 in 40 PD patients at Nara Medical University. Results: PlGF and sFlt-1 levels were significantly correlated with the dialysate-to-plasma ratio of creatinine (r = 0.342, p = 0.04 and r = 0.554, p < 0.001) although PlGF and sFlt-1 levels were not correlated with total creatinine clearance and total Kt/V. Additionally, both PlGF and sFlt-1 levels were significantly higher in patients with high transport membranes compared to those without (p = 0.039 and p < 0.001, respectively). Patients with PlGF levels above the median had lower technique survival and higher incidence of cardiovascular events than patients with levels below the median, with hazard ratios of 11.9 and 7.7, respectively, in univariate Cox regression analysis. However, sFlt-1 levels were not associated with technique survival or cardiovascular events (p = 0.11 and p = 0.10, respectively). Conclusion: Elevated PlGF and sFlt-1 are significantly associated with high transport membrane status. PlGF may be a useful predictor of technique survival and cardiovascular events in PD patients.

Metastatic myocardial calcification is a frequent cause of heart failure in hemodialysis patients. However, early detection is difficult, often resulting in a poor prognosis. A 47-year-old man with hemodialysis-dependent end-stage renal disease presented with progressive dyspnea. Levels of serum phosphate, calcium, and intact parathyroid hormone were poorly controlled. He developed pain in his right thumb 1 year before presentation, and the pain gradually increased and extended to the entire right hand. Hand radiography 1 month earlier had revealed significant progressive calcification. Echocardiography showed severe, diffuse hypokinesis and pericardial effusion as well as possible anterior myocardial calcification with high echogenicity. Chest computed tomography revealed a severely dilated heart with anterior massive myocardial calcification and a large amount of pericardial effusion, which was not detected on computed tomography performed 20 months earlier. The patient was diagnosed with heart failure associated with metastatic myocardial calcification and died suddenly 2 weeks later. This experience suggests that progressive metastatic calcification of the skin and subcutaneous tissue is useful for predicting myocardial calcification.