Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cystatin C as a kidney function test for pets
By Ghys, L et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2014·Department of Medicine and Clinical Biology of Small Animals·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Cystatin C: a new renal marker and its potential use in small animal medicine.
Plain-English summary
Chronic kidney disease is often not recognized in both people and pets, which can lead to serious health issues. The traditional way to check kidney function is by measuring the glomerular filtration rate (GFR), but this method can be complicated and takes a lot of time, so it's not commonly done. Instead, vets usually rely on tests for serum creatinine and urea, but these aren't always good at spotting early kidney problems. A new marker called serum cystatin C (sCysC) shows promise because it's easier to measure and may be more effective at indicating kidney function. This review discusses how cystatin C is being studied in dogs and cats, along with its potential benefits for veterinary care.
Abstract
The occurrence of chronic kidney disease is underestimated in both human and veterinary medicine. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is considered the gold standard for evaluating kidney function. However, GFR assessment is time-consuming and labor-intensive and therefore not routinely used in practice. The commonly used indirect GFR markers, serum creatinine (sCr) and urea, are not sufficiently sensitive or specific to detect early renal dysfunction. Serum cystatin C (sCysC), a proteinase inhibitor, has most of the properties required for an endogenous GFR marker. In human medicine, numerous studies have evaluated its potential use as a GFR marker in several populations. In veterinary medicine, this marker is gaining interest. The measurement is easy, which makes it an interesting parameter for clinical use. This review summarizes current knowledge about cystatin C (CysC) in humans, dogs, and cats, including its history, assays, relationship with GFR, and biological and clinical variations in both human and veterinary medicine.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24814357/