AimTo investigate the correlation between serum total bilirubin level and intima-media thickness (IMT) of carotid artery in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.MethodsForty-eight non-dialytic CKD patients and sixteen healthy volunteers were involved in the study.CKD patients were classified into three groups according to glomerular filtration rate (GFR): CKD 2-3 stage, CKD 4 stage and CKD 5 stage.Their serum bilirubin levels were measured and compared.Intima-medial thickness of carotid artery and the presence of atherosclerotic plaques were determined by using noninvasive high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography.ResultsSermu total bilirubin, IMT and prevalence of atherosclerotic plaques in CKD patients were significantly lower than those in healthy groups (p<0.01).The serum total bilirubin will lower following with the decreased renal function.The serum total bilirubin and concentrations were significantly decreased in CKD patients with atherosclerosis of carotid artery group (5.38±1.95 μmol/L vs 9.15±3.53 μmol/L, p<0.01).The linear correlation analysis indicated the serum total bilirubin was correlated negatively with urea nitrogen and serum creatinine (r＝－0.611, p<0.0001; r＝－0.492, p<0.0001).The serum total bilirubin level was correlated positively with glomerular filtration rate and hemoglobin (r＝0.693, p<0.0001; r＝0.602, p<0.0001).Logistic regression analysis further indicated that serum total bilirubin (β＝0.918, p＝0.004) was an independent risk factor of atherosclerosis in non-dialytic CKD patients.ConclusionsHypobilirubinemia exists in the patients of CKD.