Reference Intervals for Serum Cystatin C and Factors Influencing Cystatin C Levels Other than Renal Function in the Elderly

OBJECTIVE The present study aimed to establish reference intervals for serum cystatin C (Scys-C) stratified by stages of chronic kidney disease, explore factors influencing Scys-C and compare the performance of Scys-C with serum creatinine (Scr) in the young and elderly. METHODS A total of 800 participants, 516 young (<60 years) and 284 old (≥60 years) subjects were included in this study. Scys-C and Scr were assayed by the partical-enhanced immunoturbidimetry method and enzymatic method respectively. 95% reference interval was adopted to evaluate reference intervals. Influencing factors were characterized by multivariate linear regression analysis. Relationship between reference glomerular filtration rate (rGFR) and Scys-C or Scr was determined by correlation coefficient. RESULTS Reference intervals for Scys-C were calculated to be 0.71-1.38 mg/L, 0.83-1.67 mg/L, 1.02-2.61 mg/L, 1.32-4.48 mg/L, 1.95-6.11 mg/L in the aged in CKD G1, G2, G3a, G3b and G4-5 stages, respectively. Body mass index(BMI), nephritis, kidney neoplasm and hypertension were demonstrated as factors affecting Scys-C in the elderly while gender, nephritis and kidney neoplasm were clarified as influencing factors in the young group. Scr levels were affected by more factors, such as body surface area and hematological disease. Correlation coefficient between rGFR and Scys-C or Scr showed that serum Scys-C was superior to Scr, especially in the subjects with mildly decreased renal function (-0.593 vs. -0.520). CONCLUSIONS Factors other than renal function influenced Scys-C when applying to evaluate glomerular filtration rate (GFR), such as BMI, nephritis, kidney neoplasm and hypertension, and Scys-C had higher correlation with GFR than Scr in the elderly.