Cystatin C and renal function in pediatric renal transplant recipients

Author(s)

Franco, M. C. P. ^[1] ; Nagasako, S. S. ^[2] ; Machado, P. G. ^[1] ; Nogueira, P. C. K. ^[2] ; Pestana, J. O. M. ^[1] ; Sesso, R. ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Disciplina Nefrol, Dept Med, BR-04023900 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Pediat, BR-04023900 Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research; v. 42, n. 12, p. 1225-1229, DEC 2009.
• Web of Science Citations: 4

Abstract

In clinical practice, the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is often determined with serum creatinine. However, studies have shown cystatin C to be a better parameter for the diagnosis of impaired renal function. We compared GFR estimated by plasma cystatin C with GFR estimated by serum creatinine in a sample of 50 pediatric renal transplant recipients and 24 healthy children. The correlation between GFR estimated by serum creatinine and by cystatin C was significant (r = 0.75; P < 0.001, Pearson's correlation); however, in pediatric kidney transplant recipients, the GFR was 6.7 mL/min lower when determined using cystatin C rather than serum creatinine. Moreover, using GFR estimated by cystatin C we found that 42% of the pediatric kidney transplant recipients had an estimated GFR <60 mL.min(-1).1.73 (m(2))(-1), whereas when GFR was estimated by the serum creatinine formula only 16% of the children had values below this cutoff point indicative of chronic kidney disease (P < 0.001). We conclude that, in pediatric kidney transplant recipients, estimation of GFR yields lower values when cystatin C is used rather than serum creatinine. (AU)