Serum Cystatin C for the Evaluation of Renal Function in the Spinal Cord Injured Patients

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the renal function by investigating the relationship among serum cystatin C, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance and the average of bilateral ERPF (effective renal plasma flow) ratio of the MAG3 renal scan for the spinal cord injured patients. METHOD: Seventy-one spinal cord injured patients who admitted to our department were evaluated from January 2004 to October 2004. Blood samples and 24-hour urine of all the subjects were collected for measuring serum cystatin C, serum creatinine and creatinine clearance. MAG3 renal scan was done for 47 subjects. Regression analysis and Pearson's correlation methods were utilized for statistical analysis. RESULTS: There was significant correlation between 1/cystatin C and creatinine clearance (p<0.001) and the correlation coefficient between 1/cystatin C vs. creatinine clearance (R= 0.552) was bigger than that between 1/creatinine and creatinine clearance (R=0.329). The reciprocal of cystatin C was positively correlated with the average of bilateral ERPF ratio of MAG3 renal scan (p=0.01), while there was no significant correlation between 1/creatinine and the average of bilateral ERPF ratio. CONCLUSION: Measurement of serum cystatin C is a useful and convenient method for the evaluation of renal function in spinal cord injured patients.