Serum cystatin C as a marker of the renal function in patients with spinal cord injury.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between serum cystatin C, serum creatinine, and (51)Cr-EDTA-clearance in patients with spinal cord injury.


METHODS
The Spinal Cord Unit, Viborg-Kjellerup County Hospital.


METHODS
Twenty-four men and seven women aged 20.3 to 68.0 years with motor complete spinal cord injury (ASIA A or B) were included. Serum cystatin C was measured by an automated particle-enhanced nephelometric immunoassay (Dade Behring), serum creatinine by an enzymatic method (Vitros 950), and (51)Cr-EDTA-clearance by a multiple plasma sample method.


RESULTS
A linear relationship was found between (51)Cr-EDTA-clearance and the reciprocal values of cystatin C and creatinine. The correlation coefficient between (51)Cr-EDTA-clearance and 1/cystatin C was 0.72 compared to the correlation coefficient between (51)Cr-EDTA-clearance and 1/creatinine being 0.26. Comparison of the area under the curves in the non-parametric receiver operating characteristics (ROC) plots for serum cystatin C (area under the curve (AUC)=0.912; SE=0.065), and serum creatinine (AUC=0.507; SE=0.115) revealed significant differences (P-values=0.0005).


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with spinal cord injury serum cystatin C is a better marker of the renal function compared to serum creatinine.
Thomassen
S A
SA
Department of Internal Medicine, Viborg-Kjellerup County Hospital, Viborg, Denmark.
Johannesen
I L
IL
Erlandsen
E J
EJ
Abrahamsen
J
J
Randers
E
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002859:Chromium Isotopes; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood*; D055316:Cystatin C; D015891:Cystatins / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D015415:Biomarkers; C525030:CST3 protein, human; D002859:Chromium Isotopes; D055316:Cystatin C; D015891:Cystatins; D003404:Creatinine