CRP and chronic kidney disease: In a cohort of adult patients with CKD of similar size to our cohort and with a similar mean eGFR, in multivariable analysis, hemoglobin was inversely associated with total FGF23, independent of iron status (serum ferritin), serum erythropoietin, and inflammation (serum C-reactive protein), as well as eGFR and serum phosphate [27].