Reference intervals for cystatin C in pre- and full-term infants and children

Cystatin C is a non-glycated, 13-kDa basic protein produced by all nucleated cells. Recent studies have indicated that the plasma concentration of cystatin C is a better marker for glomerular filtration rate (GFR) than plasma creatinine, which is most commonly used for this purpose. We established reference values for plasma cystatin C in pre- or full-term infants and children. For comparison we also measured the creatinine concentration in the same samples. Cystatin C was measured by a commercially available immunoturbidimetric method with a Hitachi 704 analyzer in sera obtained from 58 pre-term infants, 50 full-term infants and 299 older children (132 girls, 167 boys, median age 4.17 years, range 8 days to 16 years). No sex differences were found. The pre-term infants had higher cystatin C concentrations (mean 1.88 mg/l, SD 0.36 mg/l) than the full-term (mean 1.70 mg/l, SD 0.26 mg/l, P=0.0145). The reference interval for pre-term infants calculated non-parametrically was 1.34-2.57 mg/l and for full-term infants 1.36-2.23 mg/l. The cystatin C concentration decreased rapidly after birth, and above 3 years of age did not depend on age. The reference interval for children 3-16 years of age calculated non-parametrically was 0.51-1.31 mg/l. Younger children (<1 year: 0.75-1.87 mg/l; 1-3 years: 0.68-1.60 mg/l) had slightly, but significantly, higher plasma cystatin C levels.