The individual course of chronic kidney disease (CKD) may vary, and improved methods for identifying which patients will experience estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline are needed. Recently, urinary dickkopf-3 (DKK3) has been identified as an stress-induced, renal tubular epithelia-derived, secreted glycoprotein that induces tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Urinary DKK3 has been found to predict eGFR decline in patients with CKD, independent of presence of albuminuria, but its association with eGFR decline in patients with heart failure (HF) is unknown. The investigators sought to examine the association between changes in DKK3 and eGFR decline in patients with HF.
