Kardiovaskularne bolesti uzrokovane aterosklerozom predstavljaju značajan uzrok smrtnosti u hemodijaliziranih (HD) bolesnika. Bolesnici koji se liječe HD imaju i do 30 puta veću stopu smrtnosti uzrokovanu kardiovaskularnim bolestima. Rizični čimbenici uključeni u patogenezu ateroskleroze u HD bolesnika pacijenata uključuju dijabetes, hipertenziju, dislipidemiju, pušenje, oksidativni stres, upalu te endotelnu disfunkciju. Budući da ateroskleroza ima dugačku subkliničku fazu veoma je važno da patološki procesi budu otkriveni čim ranije, dok je bolest još u asimptomatskoj fazi. Povećana debljina intime-medije (IMT) prepoznata je kao rani indikator subkliničke ateroskleroze, kako u općoj populaciji tako i u HD-ih bolesnika te je povezana s tradicionalnim i novijim kardiovaskularnim čimbenicima rizika. Nekoliko je studija dokazalo da je karotidna ateroskleroza povezana s adhezijskim molekulama te omentin-1 proteinom. Ciljevi ovog rada bili su sljedeći: a) istražiti povezanost sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, omentin-1 proteina te ostalih netradicionalnih rizičnih čimbenika sa subkliničkom aterosklerozom; b) ispitati dijagnostičku vrijednost ovih specifičnih markera u otkrivanju subkliničke ateroskleroze i c) ispitati njihovu ulogu kao prediktora smrtnosti u asimptomatskih bolesnika. Počevši od studenog 2011. godine, kohorta od 210 HD-ih bolesnika sudjelovala je u trogodišnjem istraživanju. Ispitanici su bili podijeljeni u tri skupine ovisno o prisutnosti ateroskleroze. Ateroskleroza je dijagnosticirana na temelju mjerenja debljine intima-medija karotidne arterije. Uzorkovanje krvi izvršeno je na početku studije te svakih 12 mjeseci iza toga sve do kraja istraživanja. Ehokardiografska mjerenja učinjena su na početku i na kraju studije. Dokazana je slaba korelacije između IMT i sICAM-1 (r=0,39, P=0,001), sVCAM-1 (r=0,27, P=0,015) i omentin-1 proteina (r=-0,25, P=0,020). Omentin-1 protein je pokazao dobru korelaciju s parametrima sistoličke i dijastoličke funkcije lijeve klijetke (r=0,52, P=0,001 i r=0,51, P=0,001). Multivarijantna analiza je pokazala kako su koncentracije sICAM-1 i omentin-1 proteina snažni neovisni pretkazatelji IMT (P=0,031 i P=0,010). Coxova analiza proporcionalnih rizika pokazala je da su koncentracija sICAM-1 i omentin-1 proteina snažni pretkazatelji kardiovaskularne smrti (HR=1,85, CI=1,18-2,32, P=0,021 i HR=4,14, CI=1,38-12,1, P=0,004,) te da uzastopno mjerenje koncentracija sICAM-1 i omentin-1 proteina predstavlja jake prediktore IMT progresije (HR=1,98, 95% CI=1,21-2,38, P<0,002 i HR=2,91, 95% CI=1,57-4,72, P<0,001). Naša studija je pokazala kako su koncentracije ICAM-1 I omentin-1 proteina jaki pretkazatelji kardiovaskularne smrti u asimptomatskih HD bolesnika. Porast koncentracije ICAM-1 te pad koncentracije omentin-1 proteina imaju ključnu ulogu u ranoj progresiji ateroskleroze. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular complications represent significant cause of mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Patients undergoing HD have up to 30 times higher incidence of cardiovascular disease mortality. Risk factors involved in pathogenesis of atherosclerosis in patients undergoing HD include diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking, oxidative stress, inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. Since atherosclerosis has a long subclinical phase it is important that pathogenic processes are identified while disease is still asymptomatic. Increased carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) is well recognized as an early indicator of subclinical atherosclerosis both in the general population and in HD patients and it is associated with traditional and emerging CV risk factors. Several studies have shown that carotid atherosclerosis is associated with circulating concentrations of soluble adhesion molecules (CAMs) and omentin-1 protein. The aims of this study were to: a) investigate association of sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, omentin-1 and other non-traditional risk factors with subclinical atherosclerosis; b) examine the diagnostic value of these specific markers in the early detection of subclinical atherosclerosis and c) examine their role as predictors of mortality in group of patients with subclinical atherosclerosis on regular HD. Starting from November 2011, a cohort of 210 HD patients participated in this three-year follow-up study. The subjects were divided into three groups according to the presence of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerotic disease was assessed by measuring carotid intima-media thickness (IMT). Samplings were withdrawn at baseline and thereafter every 12 months until the end of follow-up. Echocardiography was performed at baseline and at the end of follow-up. IMT showed weak correlation with sICAM-1 (r=0.39, P=0.001), sVCAM-1 (r=0.27, P=0.015), and omentin-1 (r=- 0.25, P=0.020), also omentin-1 showed good correlation with parameters of systolic and diastolic function (r=0.52, P=0.001 and r=0.51, P=0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 concentrations were a strong independent correlate of IMT (P=0.031 and P=0.010, respectively). The Cox proportional analysis showed that sICAM-1 and omentin-1 concentrations were strong predictors of cardiovascular death (HR=1.85, CI=1.18-2.32, P=0.021 and HR=4.14, CI=1.38-12.1, P=0.004, respectively) and that serial measurements of these markers predict IMT progression (HR=1.98, 95% CI=1.21-2.38, P<0.002 and HR=2.91, 95% CI=1.57-4.72, P<0.001, respectively). Our study demonstrated that sICAM-1 and omentin-1 levels are strong predictors of cardiovascular death in HD patients with subclinical atherosclerosis. . We believe that an increase in sICAM-1 and decrease in omentin-1 levels could play an important role in the early progression of atherosclerosis.