Cystatin-C levels in healthy children and adolescents: Influence of age, gender, body mass index and blood pressure.
OBJECTIVE
Cystatin-C is considered a more sensitive and specific marker of kidney function than creatinine since it can diagnose patients with earlier-stage of renal dysfunction. The aim of this study is to determine the levels of Cystatin-C in healthy children and adolescents as well as any correlations to age, gender, body-mass index (BMI) and blood pressure (BP).


METHODS
Cystatin-C was measured in 536 healthy Greek children and adolescents (295 males and 241 females) using a nephelometric immunoassay. Additionally, the age, body mass index and blood pressure was recorded for each subject.


RESULTS
Overall, the mean serum Cystatin-C level was 0.79 ± 0.10 mg/L. Cystatin-C was found to be statistically significantly lower in females than in males (p < 0.001) as well as in prepubertal children compared to adolescents (p < 0.001). Higher values of Cystatin-C were observed in subjects with increased BMI (p < 0.001). Neither systolic nor diastolic blood pressure was found to significantly affect Cystatin-C levels.


CONCLUSIONS
The levels of Cystatin-C were statistically significantly higher in males, compared to age-matched females and also positively correlated with age and BMI.
Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry-Molecular Diagnostics, Second Department of Pediatrics, Athens University Medical School, "P & A Kyriakou" Children's Hospital Athens, Attica, Greece.
Antonios
A
Marmarinos
Second Department of Pediatrics, Athens University Medical School, "P & A Kyriakou" Children's Hospital, Athens, Attica, Greece.
Anastasia
A
Garoufi
Biochemistry Laboratory, "P & A Kyriakou" Children's Hospital, Athens, Attica, Greece.
Adamantia
A
Panagoulia
Biochemistry Laboratory, "P & A Kyriakou" Children's Hospital, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Athens, Attica, Greece.
Stamatina
S
Dimou
Biochemistry Laboratory, "P & A Kyriakou" Children's Hospital, Athens, Attica, Greece.
Antonis
A
Drakatos
Department of Clinical Microbiology, "P & A Kyriakou" Children's Hospital, Athens, Attica, Greece.
Irene
I
Paraskakis
Second Department of Pediatrics, Athens University Medical School, "P & A Kyriakou" Children's Hospital, Athens, Attica, Greece. Electronic address: dgourg@med.uoa.gr.
Dimitrios
D
Gourgiotis
D000293:Adolescent; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D055316:Cystatin C / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values
D055316:Cystatin C
Creatinine; Markers of renal function; Obesity; Overweight; Puberty