Serum Cystatin C can detect impaired graft function early after renal transplantation

To study the significance of Cystatin C (Cys C) in early detection of the graft function after renal transplantation.

The concentrations of Cys C, Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), Serum creatinine (SCr), and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were measured. According to the results of the post-transplantation GFR; Seventy renal post-transplanted patients were assigned into 3 groups: group A (31 cases with the normal range of the renal function, GFR≥90 ml/min/1.73 m(2)), group B (27 cases with Scr<133 μmol/L and 60

The Cys C concentration in group B (1.37±0.14) was significantly higher than it in group A (0.96±0.10) (P<0.01). The SCr and the Cys C demonstrated linear correlations with the GFR in all groups of A, B and C. The correlation coefficients (r) in each group were -0.7272 and -0.7439, -0.7072 and -0.7543, -0.7430 and -0.7669; respectively.

Compared with Scr, Cys C has better correlations with GFR when the graft function was normal or renal function was slightly impaired. Cys C could be used in the early detection of renal function impairment after transplantation.