Predictors of renal function in diabetic and non-diabetic renal disease

Forty-two patients with renal disease due to diabetic nephropathy (14 patients), tubulointerstitial disease (14 patients) and glomerular disease (14 patients) underwent measurement of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) by the 51Cr-EDTA 'one-shot' method and simultaneous serum beta 2-microglobulin, serum creatinine and creatinine clearance estimation. Serum creatinine was a significantly better predictor of GFR than serum beta 2-microglobulin in patients with diabetic nephropathy, whereas both methods were equally useful predictors of GFR in non-diabetic renal disease. Serum creatinine measurement remains the best method for detecting early reduction of GFR on a serum sample.