A land of controversy: Fibroblast growth factor-23 and uremic cardiac hypertrophy

Abstract

Cardiac hypertrophy is a common feature in patients with CKD. Recent studies revealed that two phosphate regulators, fibroblast growth factor-23 and a-Klotho, are highly involved in the pathophysiologic process of CKD-induced cardiac hypertrophy. With decreasing renal function, elevated fibroblast growth factor-23 and decreased a-Klotho may contribute to cardiac hypertrophy by targeting the heart directly or by inducing systemic changes, such as vascular injury, hemodynamic disorders, and inflammation. However, several studies have demonstrated that disturbances in the fibroblast growth factor-23/a-Klotho axis do not lead to cardiac hypertrophy. In this review, we describe the cardiac effects of the fibroblast growth factor-23/a-Klotho axis and summarize recent progress in this field. In addition, we present not only the main controversies in this field but also provide possible directions to resolve these disputes.