Serum cysta tin C and microalbuminuria in the detection of early-stage vascular and renal damage, in at-risk patients without chronic kidney disease

Background: The aim of this study was to assess serum cystatin C and urinary albumin in the early detection of impairment in cardiovascular and renal function. Material and methods: Cystatin C was quantified in sera from healthy people, moreover, cystatin C was quantified in a group of patients diagnosed with chronic kidney disease for predicting a measured glomerular filtration rate <60 ml/min/1.73 m(2). Finally serum cysta tin C and microalbuminuria were measured in patients with increasing of risk of impairment in cardiovascular and renal function (hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia). Results: When the serum cystatin C was quantified in a group of risk, we observe as when being increased the cystatin C, the values of the glomerular filtration rate decreased (p <0.05), the cystatin values C were increased when increasing the age of the patients (p <0.05) and cystatin C values higher than 0.95 mg/l were not observed in patient smaller than 50 years old. In the group of risk, serum cystatin C was high regarding to the values obtained in healthy people in 27.6%, microalbuminuria in the 20.3% and both parameters were high in the 14.4% of patients with a glomerular filtration rate >90 ml/min/1.73 m(2), while in patients with a glomerular filtration rate 60-90 ml/min/1.73 m(2), cystatin C was high in the 51.7% and the microalbuminuria only in the 6.4%. Conclusions: Determinations of serum cystatin C associated to the quantification of urinary albumin in patients with cardiovascular risk can optimize the early detection of vascular and renal damage. Cysta tin C can show vascular and renal damage in patients without urinary albumin.