Creatinine Clearance and Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate--When are they Interchangeable.

Study goal was to examine which of glomerular rate equations is most suitable for prediction of creatinine clearance (CrCl). Using a retrospective review of data from 500 hospital patients we calculated glomerular filtration rate according to Cockcroft-Gault equation (C-G), Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study equation (MDRD) and Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation (CKD-EPI). We determined if results of these equations were compatible with CrCl, and does stage of kidney disease, body-mass index (BMI), diabetes or old age have an impact on their ability to predict creatinine clearance. All of the equations showed high correlations with CrCl, regardless of diabetes, overweight or old age. There was no significant difference (p<0.05) between diagnostic accuracy when comparing ROC plots for MDRD and CKD-EPIat CrCl cut offs of 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 and 90 ml/min/1.73 m2 when analyzing data for all patients, older patients (>65 years) and diabetics. The percentage of overweight patients (BMI > or = 25) in patients with normal CrCl and decreased GFR was 64.81% for C-G, 92.04% for MDRD and 91.36% for CKD-EPI. Large number of overweight patients with normal CrCl and decreased GFR would indicate that CrCl overestimates GFR in overweight patients. The simple correction in CrCl for obese subjects is purposed. Passing-Bablok regression showed agreement between CrCl and MDRD and CrCl and CKD-EPI only in cases of severely decreased GFR (G4 and G5 stage of chronic kidney disease). Only in these stages of chronic kidney disease can CrCl and MDRD or CrCl and CKD-EPI be used simultaneously.

Laboratory use of hepcidin in renal transplant recipients.

Hepcidin is a small peptide with a critical role in cellular iron homeostasis, as it regulates utilization of stored iron and antimicrobial defense in inflammation (bacterial and fungal). Since it was isolated in 2000, and especially in the last decade, numerous studies aimed to evaluate the clinical use of plasma and urine hepcidin as a marker of anemia, especially anemia of chronic disease and post-transplant anemia (PTA). Hepcidin regulation is delicately tuned by two inflammatory pathways activated by interleukin-6 (IL-6) and bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs) and iron regulated pathway sensitive to circulating transferin-iron (TR-Fe) complex. BMP-mediated pathway and TR-Fe sensitive pathway seem to be connected by hemojuveline, a BMP co-factor that interacts with transferine receptor 2 (TRF2) in cases of high TR-Fe circulatory concentration. In addition to these regulatory mechanisms other regulators and signaling pathways are being extensively researched. Hepcidin has been identified as an important contributor to morbidity and mortality in end stage renal disease (ESRD) but no such association has jet been found in case of PTA. However, there is an association between higher doses of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESA) and mortality in the posttransplant period and the assumption that hepcidin might play a role in ESA resistance in PTA. Thus the review's main goal was to summarize papers published on the association of hepcidin with PTA, give up-to-date information on hepcidin regulation and on potential therapeutics that optimize hepcidin regulation. We also compared the performances of tests for hepcidin determination and reviewed research on immunosuppressants' (IS) effect on hepcidin concentration.