The Gamma Gap Predicts All-Cause Mortality in Chronic Dialysis Patients

Introduction: The gamma gap (γ-gap) represents the total serum protein concentration minus the albumin concentration. The main aim of this study was to test whether the gamma gap is a predictor of mortality and whether it is associated with other predictors of mortality in chronic hemodialysis patients (CHPs). Materials and Methods: We studied a cohort of 100 CHPs with a mean age of 59 ± 12.3 years with duration of dialysis 6.5 ± 4.7 years. Serum proteins were determined by electrophoresis. The association of the gamma gap with serum C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen and albumin concentration was evaluated for correlation. Cox regression analysis was used to identify the predictors of mortality. Results: The γ-gap correlates positively with CRP (r = 0.247, P = 0.013) and fibrinogen (r = 0.239, P = 0.016), and inversely with albumin (r = -0.430, P