Human cystatin C in fibrotic diseases

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Nephrology
• Pathology

Background:

• Human cystatin C (hCC) is an extracellular cysteine protease inhibitor found in body fluids and tissues.
• Serum creatinine is the standard for assessing glomerular filtration rate (GFR), but is influenced by age, muscle mass, and diet.
• hCC is increasingly recognized as a valuable biomarker for GFR due to its lower sensitivity to these interfering factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the potential of human cystatin C (hCC) as a biomarker.
• To discuss the role of hCC in fibrogenesis and its relation to glomerular filtration rate (GFR).

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on hCC.
• Analysis of studies investigating hCC in relation to GFR and fibrotic diseases.
• Exploration of the molecular regulation of hCC, particularly its link to TGF-β1 and myofibrogenesis.

Main Results:

• hCC quantification in serum is less susceptible to variations caused by age, muscle mass, and diet compared to serum creatinine.
• hCC overexpression and/or oversecretion are observed during cardiac, liver, oral, and lung fibrogenesis, often driven by TGF-β1.
• Current evidence suggests a correlation between hCC expression and myofibrogenesis.

Conclusions:

• Human cystatin C (hCC) is a relevant biomarker for assessing glomerular filtration rate (GFR).
• hCC shows potential as a specific biomarker for fibrotic diseases, with its expression linked to myofibrogenesis.
• Further research is needed to fully elucidate the molecular mechanisms regulating hCC in fibrogenesis.