The association between soluble klotho and cardiovascular parameters in chronic kidney disease: Results from the KNOW-CKD study

Background: Klotho, a protein linked to aging, has emerged as a pivotal player in mineral bone metabolism and might explain the relationship between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The present study aimed to investigate the association between serum klotho and cardiac parameters from a large-scale Korean CKD cohort. Methods: We analyzed 2101 participants from KoreaN Cohort Study for Outcome in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease (KNOW-CKD) cohort who had been measured for serum klotho levels. Left ventricular hypertrophy evaluated by left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and arterial stiffness measured by brachial-to-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) were explored as cardiovascular parameters. Results: Patients were 53.6 ± 12.2 years old and 61.1% were male. The mean estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 53.0 ± 30.7 mL/min/1.73m ² . The median serum klotho level was 536 (interquartile range [IQR]: 420-667) pg/mL. Advanced CKD stages were associated with lower serum klotho levels (P < 0.001, P for linear trend < 0.001). Ascending quartiles of klotho were significantly associated with decreased LMVI (P < 0.001, P for linear trend< 0.001). A multivariable linear regression model showed serum klotho had a significant inverse association with LVMI (β - 0.04; 95% CI [confidence interval] -0.004, - 0.00007; P = 0.041). However, there was no significant association between serum klotho and baPWV after adjustment (β 0.003; 95% CI -0.04, 0.05; P = 0.876). Trial registration: This trial was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov on 28 June 2012 (NCT01630486). Conclusions: Serum klotho was an independent biomarker of LVMI, but not arterial stiffness.