摘要
To the Editor:Aging is associated with kidney dysfunction and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.The connection between the cardiovascular system and kidney function is apparent,even in the early stage of renal insufficiency.Cystatin C(CYSC),one of the cystatin superfamily that is expressed in all the nucleated cells,was considered to be one of the best indicators for evaluating renal function.[1]CYSC is a potent inhibitor of cathepsin B(CTSB),which is strictly regulated by CYSC in extracellular matrix remodeling.Imbalances between CYSC and CTSB are connected with atherosclerosis(AS),coronary heart disease,and chronic kidney disease with aging-related phenotypes.Our previous study confirmed that serum CTSB levels were associated with age and decreased cardiovascular-renal functions in healthy adults,[2]suggesting that CTSB exhibits heightened sensitivity to changes in cardiovascular and glomerular function.The present investigation,underlining the role of synthetic and degradative pathways in the aging process,emphasizes that cardio-renal interaction with aging could depend partly on differential expression of some genes leading to an imbalance of functional proteins.In this study,we analyzed the association between renal function,measured by CYSC and estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR),and vascular parameters in a healthy Chinese population.
基金
supported by grants from the the National Basic Research Program of China(973-Program,Nos.G2000057006,2007CB507405,and 2013CB530804).
