Elevated Serum Levels Of Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 From Patients With Nephrolithiasis

Objectives: It was aimed to detect serum fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21) levels among patients with nephrolithiasis and healthy control, and to identify whether FGF-21 is disease-correlated. Methods: Serum concentrations of total FGF-21 were determined by enzyme-associated immunosorbent assay in 60 participants with nephrolithiasis from our unit and 50 non-nephrolithiasis normal control from the general health examination center. Renal failure, chronic urinary tract infection, renal tubular acidosis, cancer, chronic diarrhea, diabetes and gout were totally excluded. Results: It was shown that FGF-21 levels were obviously higher in the serum of the patients with nephrolithiasis, compared with that in the healthy individuals. Serum levels of FGF-21 were obviously inversely related to renal function parameter while it positively correlated with serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6. By univariate analysis, it was shown that FGF-21 was obviously and proportionally related to serum creatinine, age, triglycerides, CRP; and negatively correlated with blood pressure, HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Conclusions: Taken all factors into consideration, the consequence showed that circulating levels of FGF-21 elevated in patients with nephrolithiasis. The pathophysiological significance of the study required further investigation.