title: Fetal, developmental, and parental influences on cystatin C in childhood: the Uppsala Family Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim was to identify determinants (biomedical and social characteristics of children and their parents) of cystatin C levels in healthy children drawn from a population sample.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  425 pairs of consecutive full siblings born 1987-1995 in Uppsala were identified using the Swedish Medical Birth Registry and invited with their parents for examination in 2000-2001.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum cystatin C level was log-transformed and analyzed using random-effects models.
  
  
  METHODS
  The examination in parents and children consisted of a nonfasting blood sample, anthropometry, and questionnaires about lifestyle and socioeconomic position. Tanner stage was used for assessment of pubertal status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In age-, height-, and body mass index-adjusted analyses, cystatin C level increased by 2.6% (95% CI, 0.3%-4.8%) higher in Tanner stage 2 vs 1 girls, and 1.6% (95%CI, 0.2%-3.1%) lower in boys than girls. For every 10% increase in maternal cystatin C level, offspring cystatin C level increased by 3.0% (95% CI, 2.2%-3.8%); the equivalent effect for paternal cystatin C level was 2.1% (95% CI, 1.3%-2.9%). Lower maternal education was associated with a 2.4% (95% CI, 0.3%-4.6%) higher cystatin C level in their offspring.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cross-sectional study design, missing cystatin C values for subset of parents, lack of urinary measurements, no gold-standard measurement of glomerular filtration rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are intergenerational associations of cystatin C level in families in line with previous reports of heritability of kidney disease. Lower maternal education is associated with higher cystatin C levels in their children. Further studies of healthy children are needed to explore the biological mechanisms for these findings. If cystatin C is measured, these studies will need to record pubertal stages.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, UK. dorothea.nitsch@lshtm.ac.uk
authors.forename: Dorothea
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nitsch
authors.forename: Johanna K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Sandling
authors.forename: Liisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Byberg
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.forename: Torsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tuvemo
authors.forename: Ann-Christine
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Syvänen
authors.forename: Ilona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Koupil
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Leon
mesh_terms: D001719:Birth Certificates; D001724:Birth Weight; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D055316:Cystatin C / Q000097:blood*; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D011247:Pregnancy; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D055316:Cystatin C