Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Serum Cystatin C Levels in Renal Transplant Recipients

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Cystatin C is an emerging parameter for the assessment of renal allograft function. The objective of the study was to compare the efficacy of serum cystatin C (SCys) with the established parameter serum creatinine (SCr) in the assessment of renal function in renal transplant recipients (RTR). The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 30 renal transplant patients and 29 control subjects was determined using 99mTc Diethylene-triamine-penta-acetate (DTPA) method. SCr was measured using an automated Jaffe’s assay and SCys was measured using latex particle enhanced turbidimetric immuno assay (PETIA). The modification of diet in renal disease (MDRD) formula was used to calculate GFR from SCr, while the Le Bricon formula was used to derive GFR based on SCys. Statistical analysis was performed using MedCalc software. SCr and SCys levels were significantly higher, while DTPA clearance was significantly lower in RTR (P < 0.0001) when compared with controls. The correlation coefficient (r value) between calculated GFR based on MDRD method and DTPA clearance was 0.343 (P = 0.06) while the calculated GFR based on Le Bricon formula was 0.694 (P < 0.001). The results have shown that SCys is a better parameter than SCr in assessing renal function in RTR. The inclusion of SCys as an additional parameter would certainly help in detection of even a marginal decline in renal function and also in adjusting the dosage of immunosuppressive drugs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ojo A. Assessing post transplant renal function. Medscape Transplant. 2004;5(2):1–4.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Kassirer JP. Clinical evaluation of kidney function—glomerular function. N Engl J Med. 1971;285:385–9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Perrone RD, Madias NE, Levey AS. Serum creatinine as an index of renal function: new insights into old concepts. Clin Chem. 1992;38:1933–53.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Levey AS, Berg RL, Gassmann JJ, Hall PM, Walker WG. Creatinine filtration, secretion and excretion during progressive renal disease. Kidney Int. 1989;36(Suppl 27):S73–80.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Randers E, Erlandsen EJ. Serum cystatin C as an endogenous marker of renal function. A review. Clin Chem Lab Med. 1999;37:389–95.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Coll E, Botey A, Alvarez L, Poch E, Quintó L, Taurina A, et al. Serum cystatin C as a new marker for noninvasive estimation of glomerular filtration rate and as a marker for early renal impairment. Am J Kidney Dis. 2000;36:29–34.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Krishnamurthy N, Arumugasamy K, Anand U, Anand CV, Aruna V, et al. Effect of hemodialysis on circulating cystatin C levels in patients with end-stage-renal-disease. Indian J Clin Biochem. 2010;25(1):43–6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Gates GF. Split renal function testing using Tc-DTPA. A rapid technique for determining differential filtration. Clin Nucl Med. 1983;8:400–7.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Levey AS, Greene T, Kusek JW, Beck GJ, MDRD Study Group. A simplified equation to predict glomerular filtration rate from serum creatinine. Am Soc Nephrol Renal Week. 2000;A0828.

  10. Le Bricon T, Thervet E, Froissart M, Benlakehal M, Bousquet B, Legendre C, et al. Plasma cystatin C is superior to 24-hour creatinine clearance and plasma creatinine for estimation of glomerular filtration rate 3 months after kidney transplantation. Clin Chem. 2000;46:1206–7.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Keevil BG, Kilpatrick ES, Nicholus SP, Maylor PW. Biological variation of cystatin C: implications for the assessment of glomerular filtration rate. Clin Chem. 1998;44:1535–9.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Risch L, Blumberg A, Huber A. Rapid and accurate assessment of glomerular filtration rate in patients with renal transplants using serum cystatin C. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 1999;14:1991–6.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Christensson A, Ekberg J, Grubb A, Ekberg H, Lindstrom. V, Lilja H. Serum cystatin C is a more sensitive and more accurate marker of glomerular filtration rate than enzymatic measurements of creatinine in renal transplantation. Nephron Physiol. 2003;94:19–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. National Kidney Foundation. K/DOQI clinical practice guideline to define chronic kidney disease: evaluation, classification and stratification. Am J Kidney Dis. 2002;39(Suppl 1):S1–266.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Tidman M, Sjostrom P, Jones I. A comparison between estimating formulae based upon s-cystatin C and s-creatinine and a combination of the two. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2008;23:154–60.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. White C, Akbari A, Hussain N, Dinh L, Filler G, Lepage N, Knoll GA. Estimating glomerular filtration rate in kidney transplantation. A comparison between serum creatinine and cystatin C-based methods. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2006;16:3763–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology, Sathyabama University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

    N. Krishnamurthy & K. Arumugasamy

  2. Department of Biochemistry, PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Peelamedu, Coimbatore, 641004, Tamil Nadu, India

    Usha Anand, C. V. Anand & V. Aruna

  3. Department of Nephrology, PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India

    G. Venu

Authors
  1. N. Krishnamurthy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. K. Arumugasamy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Usha Anand
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. C. V. Anand
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. V. Aruna
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. G. Venu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. V. Anand.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Krishnamurthy, N., Arumugasamy, K., Anand, U. et al. Serum Cystatin C Levels in Renal Transplant Recipients. Ind J Clin Biochem 26, 120–124 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12291-010-0084-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12291-010-0084-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation