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Updated: Jun 27, 2026
A High-throughput Method for Measurement of Glomerular Filtration Rate in Conscious Mice
Published on: May 10, 2013
[Influence of the background activity region selection on the measurement of glomerular filtration rate using the
Marija Dopuda1, Boris Ajdinović, Ljiljana Jauković
1Vojnomedicinska akademija, Institut za nuklearnu medicinu, Beograd, Srbija.
Insights
The Gates method for assessing glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is significantly affected by background region selection. Using a region below the kidney yields higher GFR results compared to lateral or whole-kidney regions.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Nuclear Medicine
- Medical Imaging Analysis
Context:
- Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is a key indicator of kidney function.
- The Gates method, utilizing technetium-99m diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (99mTc-DTPA), is a common GFR assessment technique.
- Accurate GFR measurement is crucial for diagnosing and managing kidney diseases.
Purpose:
- To investigate the impact of different background activity regions on GFR assessment using the Gates method.
- To determine if variations in background site selection influence the calculated GFR values.
- To provide recommendations for standardized background region selection in Gates method GFR assessment.
Summary:
- Fifty patients (21 healthy, 29 with unilateral kidney damage) were analyzed.
- Three background regions were tested: below the lower pole, lateral to the kidney, and around the whole kidney.
- GFR calculated with a region below the kidney was significantly higher than with lateral or whole-kidney regions (p < 0.0001).
Impact:
- The choice of background region significantly influences GFR measurements obtained by the Gates method.
- Standardizing background region selection is essential for reliable and reproducible GFR assessment.
- This finding aids in refining the clinical application of the Gates method for improved diagnostic accuracy.
Background/Aim:
The most frequent method for the assessment of glomerular filtration rate GFR) in clinical practice is clearance of creatinine, clearance of chromium-51 radiolabelled ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (51Cr-EDTA) and clearance of technetium-99m radiolabelled diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (99mTc-DTPA). The Gates method for glomerular filtration rate assessment is based on distribution of 99mTc-DTPA in the kidney 2-3 minute after its applying. Calculation of GFR is corrected for the background and depth of the kidney and finally expressed as a percentage of the net injected counts. This value of GFR highly correlates with biexponential model as the most accurate method for the assessment of GFR. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of different background sites on GFR rate assessment using the Gates method.
Methods:
We analysed 50 patients who were divided into two groups: the group of healthy subjects (21 subjects, mean age 47.38 yrs) and the group of subjects with unilateral kidney damage (29 subjects, mean age 39.79 yrs). Three different background activity regions were chosen: a region drawn below the lower pole of each kidney, region drawn by the lateral side of each kidney and region drawn around the whole kidney.
Results:
Gromerular filtration rate calculated by the use of a region under the lower pole is statistically significantly higher than GFR calculated using a region by the lateral side and around the whole kidney (p < 0.0001). Glomerular filtration rate calculated using the region by the lateral side and region around the whole kidney did not show statistically significant difference (p > 0.05).
Conclusion:
The selection of background activity region has a significant influence on GFR rate measured by the Gates method. It is recommended to use only one method for choosing the region of background activity.
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