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Cystatin C as a marker of early changes of renal function in Fabry nephropathy
Sandro Feriozzi1, Dominique P Germain, Raffaele Di Vito
1Nephrology and Dialysis Unit, Ospedale Belcolle, Viterbo, Italy. sandro.feriozzi@tiscali.it
Background:
A sensitive, feasible and reproducible marker for renal function is necessary to evaluate the clinical efficacy of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) in Fabry nephropathy. Serum creatinine has some limitations and cystatin C has been proposed, in other nephropathies, as a useful marker of renal function. The use of cystatin C as a marker of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was investigated in Fabry patients receiving ERT.
Methods:
Renal function was evaluated with serum creatinine, serum cystatin C and estimated GFR (through Modification of Diet in Renal Disease [MDRD], Cockcroft-Gault [C&G] and Hoek formulae) in 21 Fabry patients receiving ERT with agalsidase alfa for 3 years and in 13 Fabry patients receiving agalsidase alfa for 4 years.
Results:
During years of ERT while serum creatinine remained stable, cystatin C values showed a significant, increasing trend right from the first year of ERT.
Conclusions:
In Fabry disease, cystatin C is a sensitive and reliable marker of renal function, and it should be taken into account when evaluating GFR trends during ERT.
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