title: Serum cystatin C as a determinant of fasting total homocysteine levels in renal transplant recipients with a normal serum creatinine.
abstract: Serum creatinine, a surrogate for both renal function and homocysteine generation, is an important determinant of fasting plasma total homocysteine levels in stable renal transplant recipients. In this study, it is hypothesized that among stable renal transplant recipients with normal creatinine levels (i.e., < or = 1.5 mg/dl), serum cystatin C, a more sensitive indicator of GFR, would better predict fasting total homocysteine levels compared with serum creatinine. Fasting plasma total homocysteine, folate, vitamin B12, and pyridoxal 5'-phosphate levels, along with serum cystatin C, creatinine, and albumin levels, were determined in 28 consecutive renal transplant recipients (mean age 47 +/- 14 yr; 60.7% men) with stable allograft function, whose serum creatinine was < or = 1.5 mg/dl. General linear modeling with analysis of covariance revealed that serum cystatin C was independently predictive (partial R = 0.494; P = 0.023) of fasting total homocysteine levels after adjustment for age, gender, vitamin status, albumin, and creatinine levels. In contrast, creatinine levels were not predictive of fasting total homocysteine levels in this model (P = 0.110) or an identical model that excluded cystatin C (P = 0.131). Serum cystatin C levels may reflect subtle decreases in renal function that independently predict fasting total homocysteine levels among stable renal transplant recipients with a normal serum creatinine.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Internal Medicine, Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island, Providence, USA. abostom@loa.com
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Bostom
authors.forename: R Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Gohh
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bausserman
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hakas
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Jacques
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Selhub
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dworkin
authors.forename: I H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D055316:Cystatin C; D015891:Cystatins / Q000097:blood*; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013223:Statistics as Topic
chemical_list: C525030:CST3 protein, human; D055316:Cystatin C; D015891:Cystatins; D006710:Homocysteine; D003404:Creatinine