Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2025

Assessment of Kidney Function in Mouse Models of Glomerular Disease
Published on: June 30, 2018
Which Is a Better Predictor of GFR Decline: 24-h Urine Protein or 24-h Protein-Creatinine Ratio? An Exploration of
Isabelle Ayoub1, Haikady N Nagaraja2, Rima Kang1
1Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States.
Background:
Proteinuria is a known risk factor for progression of chronic kidney disease. Proteinuria magnitude can be estimated by measuring spot urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (least accurate), 24-h urine collection for protein (24 P), or 24-h protein-creatinine ratio (24 PCR). The MDRD study found that 24 P measured at baseline was the strongest single predictor of the rate of GFR decline during study follow-up. However, predictive powers of 24 P and 24 PCR have not been compared in the literature. The current study addresses this question using the MDRD cohort data.
Methods:
The study is a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from the MDRD cohort using simple and multiple regression models. Slope of measured GFR (mGFR) over time was used as the response and models that included baseline 24 PCR or 24 P were compared for the entire sample and for subgroups formed by restricting the values of 24-h creatinine and 24 P.
Results:
Log 24 P and Log 24 PCR correlated almost equally with mGFR slope. However, in simple linear regression models and multivariable linear regression models adjusting for age and sex, the model with 24 PCR had a higher R 2 than the corresponding one that had 24 P except for the subgroup 24 P < 1 g.
Conclusion:
We observe that 24 PCR may be a better marker of proteinuria magnitude in predicting decline in kidney function compared to 24 P in particular for patients with 24 P ≥ 1. This finding needs validation in prospective clinical trials.
Related Concept Videos
Factors Affecting Renal Clearance: Renal Impairment
One condition associated with renal failure is uremia. Uremia is characterized by impaired glomerular filtration and fluid accumulation in the body. This condition hinders the renal clearance of drugs, resulting in drug accumulation and potential...
Renal Clearance
Renal clearance refers to the volume of plasma cleared of a specific substance, such as creatinine, per unit of time. To measure clearance, urine samples are collected over a 24-hour period during each bladder voiding, followed by a single blood sample at the...
Serum Studies: Renal Function Tests
Renal Drug Clearance: Comparison Between Renal Excretion Methods
Renal clearance is often associated with the renal glomerular filtration rate (GFR), which represents the rate at which plasma is filtered through the glomeruli in the kidney. When drug reabsorption is minimal and there is no active secretion, renal clearance is closely related to the...
Determination of Renal Drug Clearance: Graphical and Midpoint Methods
The graphical method involves plotting the rate of drug excretion in urine against the plasma drug concentration. By analyzing the graph, the clearance can be calculated and obtained. Drugs rapidly excreted by the kidneys exhibit a...
Renal Failure: Dose Adjustments
Reduced renal clearance and elimination rate are common outcomes of renal impairment. These alterations lead to a prolonged elimination half-life and an altered apparent volume of distribution for drugs. As a result, dosage adjustments are typically necessary to maintain optimal drug levels in the body.
However, dosage adjustments...

