The relationship between colonization of Oxalobacter formigenes serum oxalic acid and endothelial dysfunction in hemodialysis patients: From impaired colon to impaired endothelium

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients receiving hemodialysis (HD). Oxalic acid is a uremic retention molecule that has been extensively studied in the pathogenesis of calcium-oxalate stones. Oxalobacter formigenes (O. formigenes), a component of the colonic microbiota, plays an important role in oxalate homeostasis. Little is known regarding the colonization of HD patients by O. formigenes and the exact role of this bacterial species in oxalic acid metabolism in these patients. We hypothesized that oxalic acid may be insufficiently degraded in HD patients due to under colonization of the colon by O. formigenes in these patients. To test this hypothesis, we sought to quantitatively measure fecal O. formigenes levels and serum oxalic acid levels in HD patients. We also suggest that increased oxalic acid levels may be associated with endothelial dysfunction and aortic stiffness, both of which are commonly observed in HD patients. Increased colonization with O. formigenes via the ingestion of prebiotics and probiotics could potentially decrease serum oxalic acid levels and improve cardiovascular outcomes in HD patients.