Creatinine standardization: a key consideration in evaluating whole blood creatinine monitoring systems for CKD screening.

Early detection of CKD using point of care creatinine and eGFR testing improves patient management outcomes. We undertook a field study to evaluate the use of a whole blood creatinine/eGFR device to screen a rural Nicaraguan population to determine the variability between creatinine methods and specimen types. All specimens including capillary and venous dried blood spots (DBS) were tested with an isotope dilution liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (ID-LCMS) gold standard method. This is to our knowledge the first time a capillary whole blood (POC) method has been directly compared to the gold standard IDMS method, through the novel approach of using dried blood spots. Capillary and venous whole blood specimens were obtained and tested directly with the BCMS method, and then, DBS samples were prepared. Venous plasma specimens were tested using three laboratory analyzer creatinine methods. DBS were sent to the site performing ID-LCMS. Control samples were also prepared to assess the stability of shipment and storage of DBS. The ID-LCMS method was aligned using primary and secondary standards. Sixty-six (66) patients participated in the study, and the CKD prevalence rate was 7.8%. While all creatinine methods showed a good correlation to ID-LCMS, there was a positive bias (mean absolute bias range: 0.21-0.63 mg/dL). All methods used were 100% sensitive, but specificity varied from 62.7 to 94.9% with PPV ranging from 25 to 62.5%. A correction factor was used to align the values from each method to ID-LCMS which improved the specificity of each method. This study used a unique DBS approach to align capillary whole blood creatinine to ID-LCMS. To ensure reliability of BCMS for identifying screened patients with CKD, it is important to establish IDMS traceability and alignment prior to undertaking CKD studies.

Biomarkers associated with early stages of kidney disease in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

OBJECTIVES: To identify biomarkers of renal disease in adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and to compare findings in adults with T1D. METHODS: Twenty-five serum biomarkers were measured, using a Luminex platform, in 553 adolescents (median [interquartile range] age: 13.9 [12.6, 15.2] years), recruited to the Adolescent Type 1 Diabetes Cardio-Renal Intervention Trial. Associations with baseline and final estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), rapid decliner and rapid increaser phenotypes (eGFR slopes <-3 and > 3 mL/min/1.73m2 /year, respectively), and albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) were assessed. Results were also compared with those obtained in 859 adults (age: 55.5 [46.1, 64.4) years) from the Scottish Diabetes Research Network Type 1 Bioresource. RESULTS: In the adolescent cohort, baseline eGFR was negatively associated with trefoil factor-3, cystatin C, and beta-2 microglobulin (B2M) (B coefficient[95%CI]: -0.19 [-0.27, -0.12], P = 7.0 × 10-7 ; -0.18 [-0.26, -0.11], P = 5.1 × 10-6 ; -0.12 [-0.20, -0.05], P = 1.6 × 10-3 ), in addition to clinical covariates. Final eGFR was negatively associated with osteopontin (-0.21 [-0.28, -0.14], P = 2.3 × 10-8 ) and cystatin C (-0.16 [-0.22, -0.09], P = 1.6 × 10-6 ). Rapid decliner phenotype was associated with osteopontin (OR: 1.83 [1.42, 2.41], P = 7.3 × 10-6 ), whereas rapid increaser phenotype was associated with fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23) (1.59 [1.23, 2.04], P = 2.6 × 10-4 ). ACR was not associated with any of the biomarkers. In the adult cohort similar associations with eGFR were found; however, several additional biomarkers were associated with eGFR and ACR. CONCLUSIONS: In this young population with T1D and high rates of hyperfiltration, osteopontin was the most consistent biomarker associated with prospective changes in eGFR. FGF-23 was associated with eGFR increases, whereas trefoil factor-3, cystatin C, and B2M were associated with baseline eGFR.

Defective nitric oxide production and functional renal reserve in patients with type 2 diabetes who have microalbuminuria of African and Asian compared with white origin.

Diabetic nephropathy is a leading cause of end-stage renal failure. Its incidence is higher and is increasing in persons of Indo-Asian and African-Caribbean (African-Asian) compared with those of white origin. Nitric oxide deficiency is associated with progressive renal disease. It was hypothesized that differences in the capacity to increase glomerular filtration (functional renal reserve) would exist between these racial groups in relation to nitric oxide availability. Patients with type 2 diabetes of African-Asian (n = 9) and white (n = 9) origin with microalbuminuria were studied under euglycemic conditions. Glomerular filtration, renal plasma flow, and clearance of the stable metabolites of nitric oxide, nitrite, and nitrate were measured before and after a renal vasodilatory stimulus of a mixed amino acid intravenous infusion. There were no significant differences in age, duration of diabetes, and baseline glomerular filtration (57.1 [14.1] versus 55.8 [10.1] yr; P = 0.82, 14.5 [10.2] versus 9.1 [7.0] yr; P = 0.19 and 125.9 [30.9] versus 127.2 [44.6] ml/min per 1.73 m(2); P = 0.94) between the African-Asian and white groups. Functional renal reserve, change in renal plasma flow, and percentage change in nitrate and nitrite clearance was significantly higher in the white compared with the African-Asian group (21.9 [45.7] versus -2.5 [28.2] ml/min per 1.73 m(2); P = 0.043, 155.8 [205.9] versus -90.1 [146.0]; P = 0.03 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) and 26.7 [85.1] versus -44.7 [16.9] %; P = 0.013, respectively). The differences in functional reserve were not confounded after adjustment for diabetes duration (P = 0.034). The data suggest that these patients with type 2 diabetes of African and Asian origin lose functional renal reserve earlier in the evolution of nephropathy than whites. The differences appear to be due to defective nitric oxide production or bioavailability and might explain some of the propensity to develop end-stage renal disease.