Urinary and Plasma Levels of Vasohibin-1 Can Predict Renal Functional Deterioration in Patients with Renal Disorders

Vasohibin-1 (VASH-1) is a negative feedback regulator of angiogenesis, and a small vasohibin-binding protein (SVBP) serves as its secretory chaperone and contributes to its antiangiogenic effects. In the present study, we aimed to define the clinical significance of VASH-1 and SVBP in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We recruited 67 Japanese hospitalized patients with renal disorders with (n = 45) or without (n = 22) renal biopsy samples and 10 Japanese healthy controls. We evaluated the correlations between the plasma and urinary levels of VASH-1/VASH-1-SVBP complex/SVBP and the clinicopathological parameters. The plasma levels of VASH-1 were inversely correlated with age and systolic and diastolic blood pressure and positively correlated with crescent formation. Increased plasma and urinary levels of VASH-1 and VASH-1-SVBP complex were significantly correlated with worse renal outcomes. These results demonstrate an association between elevated urinary and plasma levels of VASH-1 and progressive decline of the renal function, thus suggesting a potential role for VASH-1 in predicting a worse renal prognosis in patients with renal disease, including CKD.