Machine learning-based comparison of factors influencing estimated glomerular filtration rate in Chinese women with or without nonalcoholic fatty liver

BACKGROUND The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver(NAFLD)has increased recently.Subjects with NAFLD are known to have higher chance for renal function impairment.Many past studies used traditional multiple linear regression(MLR)to identify risk factors for decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR).However,medical research is increasingly relying on emerging machine learning(Mach-L)methods.The present study enrolled healthy women to identify factors affecting eGFR in subjects with and without NAFLD(NAFLD+,NAFLD-)and to rank their importance.AIM To uses three different Mach-L methods to identify key impact factors for eGFR in healthy women with and without NAFLD.METHODS A total of 65535 healthy female study participants were enrolled from the Taiwan MJ cohort,accounting for 32 independent variables including demographic,biochemistry and lifestyle parameters(independent variables),while eGFR was used as the dependent variable.Aside from MLR,three Mach-L methods were applied,including stochastic gradient boosting,eXtreme gradient boosting and elastic net.Errors of estimation were used to define method accuracy,where smaller degree of error indicated better model performance.RESULTS Income,albumin,eGFR,High density lipoprotein-Cholesterol,phosphorus,forced expiratory volume in one second(FEV1),and sleep time were all lower in the NAFLD+group,while other factors were all significantly higher except for smoking area.Mach-L had lower estimation errors,thus outperforming MLR.In Model 1,age,uric acid(UA),FEV1,plasma calcium level(Ca),plasma albumin level(Alb)and T-bilirubin were the most important factors in the NAFLD+group,as opposed to age,UA,FEV1,Alb,lactic dehydrogenase(LDH)and Ca for the NAFLD-group.Given the importance percentage was much higher than the 2nd important factor,we built Model 2 by removing age.CONCLUSION The eGFR were lower in the NAFLD+group compared to the NAFLD-group,with age being was the most important impact factor in both groups of healthy Chinese women,followed by LDH,UA,FEV1 and Alb.However,for the NAFLD-group,TSH and SBP were the 5th and 6th most important factors,as opposed to Ca and BF in the NAFLD+group.

Detection of decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate in patients with type 2 diabetes by cystatin C-based equations

BACKGROUND Aging population is a significant issue in Viet Nam and across the globe.Elderly individuals are at higher risk of chronic kidney disease(CKD),especially those with diabetes.Several studies found that the estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)determined using creatinine-based equations was not as accurate as that determined using cystatin C-based equations.Cystatin C-based equations may be beneficial in elderly patients with an age-associated decline in kidney function.Early determination of eGFR decline and associated factors would aid in appropriate interventions to improve kidney function in elderly patients with diabetes.AIM To determine the utility of cystatin C-based equations in early detection of eGFR decline and to explore factors associated with eGFR decline in elderly patients with diabetes.METHODS This cross-sectional study included 93 participants aged≥60 years evaluated in Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital between October 2022 and July 2023,including 47 and 46 participants with and without diabetes respectively,according to the American Diabetes Association criteria for diabetes.The kappa coefficient,Student’s t,Mann-Whitney,χ2,Pearson’s correlation,multivariate logistic regression,and multiple linear regression analyses were employed.RESULTS The eGFRs were lower with the cystatin C-based equations than with the creatinine-based equations.Good agreement was found between the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease(MDRD)and CKD Epidemiology Collaboration(CKD-EPI)2021 creatinine-cystatin C equations(kappa=0.66).In the diabetes group,30%of the participants had low eGFR.Both plasma glucose and glycated hemoglobin were associated with an increased risk of eGFR decline(P<0.05)and negatively correlated with eGFR(P=0.001).By multivariate logistic regression,total cholesterol,and exercise were independently associated with low eGFR.By multiple linear regression,higher plasma glucose levels were correlated with lower eGFR(P=0.026,r=-0.366).CONCLUSION Cystatin C-based equations were superior in the early detection of a decline in eGFR,and the MDRD equation may be considered as an alternative to the CKD-EPI 2021 creatinine-cystatin C equation.Exercise,plasma glucose,and total cholesterol were independently associated with eGFR in patients with diabetes.

Machine learning applications in healthcare clinical practice and research

Machine learning(ML)is a type of artificial intelligence that assists computers in the acquisition of knowledge through data analysis,thus creating machines that can complete tasks otherwise requiring human intelligence.Among its various applications,it has proven groundbreaking in healthcare as well,both in clinical practice and research.In this editorial,we succinctly introduce ML applications and present a study,featured in the latest issue of the World Journal of Clinical Cases.The authors of this study conducted an analysis using both multiple linear regression(MLR)and ML methods to investigate the significant factors that may impact the estimated glomerular filtration rate in healthy women with and without non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD).Their results implicated age as the most important determining factor in both groups,followed by lactic dehydrogenase,uric acid,forced expiratory volume in one second,and albumin.In addition,for the NAFLD-group,the 5th and 6th most important impact factors were thyroid-stimulating hormone and systolic blood pressure,as compared to plasma calcium and body fat for the NAFLD+group.However,the study's distinctive contribution lies in its adoption of ML methodologies,showcasing their superiority over traditional statistical approaches(herein MLR),thereby highlighting the potential of ML to represent an invaluable advanced adjunct tool in clinical practice and research.

Responses of Filtration Rate of Freshwater Mussel Anodonta woodiana to Ambient Ammonia Concentration

By using one static water system,the filtration rates of one kind of freshwater mussel Anodonta woodiana with different body weight(accounted by dry weight of soft tissue)were studied under semi-field conditions.During the experiments,the water temperature and the suspended particulate matters concentration were kept relative invariable and there were four ambient ammonia concentration levels.The ambient water ammonia concentration was obtained by the excretion of the freshwater mussel and the accession of ...

Association of glomerular filtration rate with arterial stiffness in Chinese women with normal to mildly impaired renal function

Objective Both decreased glomemlar filtration rate （GFR） and arterial stiffness were considered as risk factors for atherosclerosis. Previous studies have suggested the association between central arterial stiffness and the degree of GFR loss. Whether decreased GFR contributes to peripheral artery stiffness remains controversial. Moreover, data analyzed from a cohort of Chinese women are rare. Our aim was to explore the relationship between GFR and regional arterial stiffness in Chinese women. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we randomly recruited 1131 adult women residents with GFR 〉 60 mL/min per 1.73 m2 estimated by the Chinese Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation from three large communities. Central and peripheral arterial stiffness were estimated simultaneously by measuring carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity （PWVcf） and carotid-radial PWV （PWVcr） using a validated automatic device. Augmentation Index at heart rate 75 beats/minutes （AIx-75） was measured by pulse wave analysis as a composite parameter reflecting both large and distal arterial properties. Results The mean estimated GFR （eGFR） of the study group was 100.05 ＋ 23.26 mL/minute per 1.73 m2. Subjects were grouped by tertiles of eGFR level. PWVef and AIx-75 increased ongoing from the top to the bottom eGFR tertile, while the values of PWVcr were comparable. Both univariate Pearson correlations and multiple stepwise regression analyses showed that eGFR significantly correlated to PWVcf, but not to PWVcr and AJx-75. Conclusions In Chinese women with normal to mildly impaired renal function, decreased eGFR affected carotid-to-femoral rather than carotid-to-radial stiffening. This provides rational to conduct future prospective studies to investigate predictors of atherosclerosis in this population.

Establishing the presence or absence of chronic kidney disease:Uses and limitations of formulas estimating the glomerular filtration rate

The development of formulas estimating glomerular filtration rate(eG FR) from serum creatinine and cystatin C and accounting for certain variables affecting the production rate of these biomarkers, including ethnicity, gender and age, has led to the current scheme of diagnosing and staging chronic kidney disease(CKD),which is based on e GFR values and albuminuria.This scheme has been applied extensively in various populations and has led to the current estimates of prevalence of CKD. In addition, this scheme is applied in clinical studies evaluating the risks of CKD and the efficacy of various interventions directed towards improving its course. Disagreements between creatinine-based and cystatin-based e GFR values and between e GFR values and measured GFR have been reported in various cohorts. These disagreements are the consequence of variations in the rate of production and in factors, other than GFR, affecting the rate of removal of creatinine and cystatin C. The disagreements create limitations for all e GFR formulas developed so far. The main limitations are low sensitivity in detecting early CKD in several subjects, e.g., those with hyperfiltration, and poor prediction of the course of CKD. Research efforts in CKD are currently directed towards identification of biomarkers that are better indices of GFR than the current biomarkers and,particularly, biomarkers of early renal tissue injury.

Equivalent Cake Filtration Model

Cake filtration has been widely used in many chemical processes with more non-Newtonian, highly viscous and compressible materials involved. Neither traditional nor modem filtration theory can be applied in practice ＂Equivalent cake filtration model＂ is a recently developed mathematical model to describe cake filtration for both Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids, in either steady or unsteady filtration stages. This model has two strengths： （1） It can be used to determine equivalent capillary radii and predict filtration quality based on the properties of solid/liquid system and operation parameters; and （2） to calculate cake specific resistance and its variations with time at various cake thickness locations.

Relationship between oxygen concentration, respiration and filtration rate in blue mussel Mytilus edulis

The large water-pumping and particle-capturing gills of the filter-feeding blue mussel Mytilus edulis are oversized for respiratory purposes. Consequently, the oxygen uptake rate of the mussel has been suggested to be rather insensitive to decreasing oxygen concentrations in the ambient water, since the diffusion rate of oxygen from water flowing through the mussel determines oxygen uptake. We tested this hypothesis by measuring the oxygen uptake in mussels exposed to various oxygen concentrations. These concentrations were established via N2-bubbling of the water in a respiration chamber with mussels fed algal cells to stimulate fully opening of the valves. It was found that mussels exposecl to oxygen concentrations decreasing from 9 to 2 mg O2/L resulted in a slow but significant reduction in the respiration rate, while the filtration rate remained high and constant. Thus, a decrease of oxygen concentration by 78% only resulted in a 25% decrease in respiration rate. However, at oxygen concentrations below 2 mg O2/L M. edulis responded by gradually closing its valves, resulting in a rapid decrease of filtration rate, concurrent with a rapid reduction of respiration rate. These observations indicated that M. edulis is no longer able to maintain its normal aerobic metabolism at oxygen concentration below 2 mg O2/L, and there seems to be an energy-saving mechanism in bivalve molluscs to strongly reduce their activity when exposed to low oxygen conditions.

Difference between CKD-EPI and MDRD equations in calculating glomerular filtration rate in patients with cirrhosis

AIM:To evaluate the difference between the performance of the (CKD-EPI) and Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equations in cirrhotic patients. METHODS: From Jan 2004 to Oct 2008, 4127 cirrhotic patients were reviewed. Patients with incomplete data with respect to renal function were excluded; thus, a total of 3791 patients were included in the study. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was estimated by the 4-variable MDRD (MDRD-4), 6-variable MDRD (MDRD-6), and CKD-EPI equations.RESULTS:When serum creatinine was 0.7-6.8 mg/dL and 0.6-5.3 mg/dL in men and women, respectively, a significantly lower GFR was estimated by the MDRD-6 than by the CKD-EPI. Similar GFRs were calculated by both equations when creatinine was > 6.9 mg/dL and > 5.4 mg/dL in men and women, respectively. In predicting in-hospital mortality, estimated GFR obtained by the MDRD-6 showed better accuracy [81.72%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.94-0.95] than that obtained by the MDRD-4 (80.22%; 95%CI, 0.96-0.97), CKD-EPI (79.93%; 95%CI, 0.96-0.96), and creatinine (77.50%; 95%CI, 2.27-2.63). CONCLUSION: GFR calculated by the 6-variable MDRD equation may be closer to the true GFR than that calculated by the CKD-EPI equation.

Relationship between Vesicoureteral Reflux and Glomerular Filtration Rate in Children

Vesicoureteral reflux(VUR)is one of the most common urinary tract anomalies in children and causes renal damage and studies focusing on the effect of VUR on renal function are rare.We recruited 35 primary VUR patients with recurrent urinary tract infection(UTI)and 10 non-VUR patients with recurrent UTI.Contrast-enhanced voiding urosonography(ceVUS)was performed for VUR grading,and renal dynamic imaging was used for evaluating glomerular filtration rate(GFR,mL/min).Standardized GFR(sGFR),namely GFR/BSA(mL·min-1·m-2),was calculated based on the body surface area(BSA).Total sGFR(tsGFR,mL·min-1·m-2)was obtained from the sum of sGFR on the left and right sides of all the children.The risk of renal regurgitation was equal in the unilateral reflux group.The sGFR of children with grade Ⅳ(45.74±18.05mL·min-1·m-2)and grade V(49.67±23.63mL·min-1·m-2)reflux was significantly lower than that in children with grade Ⅱ(77.69±22.21 mL·min-1·m-2).The renal function compensation of contralateral non-reflux kidney increased in unilateral reflux group,which was higher than that in the control group and level Ⅱ,Ⅳ and Ⅴ of reflux group respectively.In VUR group of the same grade,sGFR decreased with the age at diagnosis.In unilateral grade V refux group,the tsGFR was lower than that in the unilateral grade I reflux group(133.51±48.21 vs.186.87+53.49mL·min-1·m-2).The patients with VUR of unilateral grade Ⅱ were significantly older than those with VUR of unilateral grades Ⅱ and Ⅳ.This study indicates that severe VUR is significantly associated with decreased renal function.Therefore,VUR should be diagnosed early and managed individually.

Is an estimated glomerular filtration rate better than creatinine to be incorporated into the end-stage liver disease score?

AIM: To incorporate estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) into the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score to evaluate the predictive value. METHODS: From January 2004 to October 2008, the records of 4127 admitted cirrhotic patients were reviewed. Patients who survived and were followed up as outpatients were defined as survivors and their most recent available laboratory data were collected. Patients whose records indicated death at any time during the hospital stay were defined as non-survivors (in-hospital mortality). Patients with incomplete data or with cirrhosis due to a congenital abnormality such as primary biliary cirrhosis were excluded; thus, a total of 3857 patients were enrolled in the present study. The eGFR, which was calculated by using either the modification of diet in renal disease (MDRD) equation or the chronic kidney disease epidemiology collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation, was incorporated into the MELD score after adjustment with the original MELD equation by logistic regression analysis [bilirubin and international normalized ratio (INR) were set at 1.0 for values less than 1.0]. RESULTS: Patients defined as survivors were significantly younger, had a lower incidence of hepatoma, lower Child-Pugh and MELD scores, and better renal function. The underlying causes of cirrhosis were very different from those in Western countries. In Taiwan, most cirrhotic patients were associated with the hepatitis virus, especially hepatitis B. There were 16 parameters included in univariate logistic regression analysis to predict in-hospital mortality and those with significant predicting values were included in further multivariate analysis. Both 4-variable MDRD eGFR and 6-variable MDRD eGFR, rather than creatinine, were significant predictors of in-hospital mortality. Three new equations were constructed (MELD-MDRD-4, MELD-MDRD-6, MELD-CKD-EPI). As expected, original MELD score was a significant predictor of in-hospital mortality (odds ratio = 1.25, P < 0.001). MELD-MDRD-4 excluded serum creatinine, with the coefficients refit among the remaining 3 variables, i.e., total bilirubin, INR and 4-variable MDRD eGFR. This model represented an exacerbated outcome over MELD score, as suggested by a decrease in chi-square (2161.45 vs 2198.32) and an increase in -2 log (likelihood) (2810.77 vs 2773.90). MELD-MDRD-6 included 6-variable MDRD eGFR as one of the variables and showed an improvement over MELD score, as suggested by an increase in chi-square (2293.82 vs 2198.32) and a decrease in -2 log (likelihood) (2810.77 vs 2664.79). Finally, when serum creatinine was replaced by CKD-EPI eGFR, it showed a slight improvement compared to the original MELD score (chi-square: 2199.16, -2 log (likelihood): 2773.07). In the receiver-operating characteristic curve, the MELD-MDRD-6 score showed a marginal improvement in area under the curve (0.909 vs 0.902), sensitivity (0.854 vs 0.819) and specificity (0.818 vs 0.839) compared to the original MELD equation. In patients with a different eGFR, the MELD-MDRD-6 equation showed a better predictive value in patients with eGFR ≥ 90, 60-89, 30-59 and 15-29. CONCLUSION: Incorporating eGFR obtained by the 6-variable MDRD equation into the MELD score showed an equal predictive performance in in-hospital mortality compared to a creatinine-based MELD score.

Effect of Salinity-Changing Rates on Filtration Activity of Mussels from Two Sites within the Baltic Mytilus Hybrid Zone:The Brackish Great Belt(Denmark)and the Low Saline Central Baltic Sea

Mussels from two sites within the Baltic mussel (Mytilus edulis × M. trossulus) hybrid zone were used in a comparative study on the effects of salinity-changing rates on filtration activity. The acute effect of varying salinity-changing rates was found to be similar in M. edulis from the brackish Great Belt and in M. trossulus from the low saline Central Baltic Sea, and the relationships could be described by linear regression lines through 0.0 indicating that the acute effect of deteriorating conditions at decreasing salinities is the opposite as for improving conditions when the salinity is subsequently increased. Further, both M. edulis and M. trossulus acclimatized to 20 psu reacted to an acute salinity change to 6.5 psu by immediately closing their valves whereupon the filtration rate gradually increased during the following days, but only M. trossulus had completely acclimatized to 6.5 psu within 5 days which may be explained by different genotypes of M. edulis and M. trossulus which probably reflected an evolutionary adaptation of the latter to survive in the stable low-salinity Baltic Sea.

Impact of creatinine methodology on glomerular filtration rate estimation in diabetes

AIM To evaluate the influence of creatinine methodology on the performance of chronic kidney disease(CKD)-Epidemiology Collaboration Group-calculated estimated glomerular filtration rate(CKD-EPI-eGFR) for CKD diagnosis/staging in a large cohort of diabetic patients. METHODS Fasting blood samples were taken from diabetic patients attending our clinic for their regular annual examination, including laboratory measurement of serum creatinine and eGFR.RESULTS Our results indicated an overall excellent agreement in CKD staging(kappa = 0.918) between the Jaffé serum creatinine-and enzymatic serum creatinine-based CKDEPI-eGFR, with 9% of discordant cases. As compared to the enzymatic creatinine, the majority of discordances(8%) were positive, i.e., associated with the more advanced CKD stage re-classification, whereas only 1% of cases were negatively discordant if Jaffé creatinine was used for eGFR calculation. A minor proportion of the discordant cases(3.5%) were re-classified into clinically relevant CKD stage indicating mildly to moderately decreased kidney function(< 60 m L/min per 1.73 m^2). Significant acute and chronic hyperglycaemia, assessedas plasma glucose and Hb A1 c levels far above the recommended glycaemic goals, was associated with positively discordant cases. Due to a very low frequency, positive discordance is not likely to present a great burden for the health-care providers, while intensified medical care may actually be beneficial for the small number of discordant patients. On the other hand, a very low proportion of negatively discordant cases(1%) at the 60 m L/min per 1.73 m^2 eGFR level indicate a negligible possibility to miss the CKD diagnosis, which could be the most prominent clinical problem affecting patient care, considering high risk of CKD for adverse patient outcomes. CONCLUSION This study indicate that compensated Jaffé creatinine procedure, in spite of the glucose-dependent bias, is not inferior to enzymatic creatinine in CKD diagnosis/staging and therefore may provide a reliable and cost-effective tool for the renal function assessment in diabetic patients.

Estimating glomerular filtration rate preoperatively for patients undergoing hepatectomy

AIM:To compare creatinine clearance(Ccr) with estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR) in preoperative renal function tests in patients undergoing hepatectomy.METHODS:The records of 197 patients undergoing hepatectomy between August 2006 and August 2008 were studied,and preoperative Ccr,a three-variable equation for eGFR(eGFR3) and a five-variable equation for eGFR(eGFR5) were calculated.Abnormal values were defined as Ccr < 50 mL/min,eGFR3 and eGFR5 < 60 mL/min per 1.73 m2.The maximum increases in the postoperative serum creatinine(post Cr) level and postoperative rate of increase in the serum Cr level(post Cr rate) were compared.RESULTS:There were 37 patients(18.8%) with abnormal Ccr,31(15.7%) with abnormal eGFR3,and 40(20.3%) with abnormal eGFR5.Although there were no significant differences in the post Cr rate between patients with normal and abnormal Ccr,eGFR3 and eGFR5 values,the post Cr level was significantly higher in patients with eGFR3 and eGFR5 abnormality than in normal patients(P < 0.0001).Post Cr level tended to be higher in patients with Ccr abnormality(P = 0.0936 and P = 0.0875,respectively).CONCLUSION:eGFR5 and the simpler eGFR3,rather than Ccr,are recommended as a preoperative renal function test in patients undergoing hepatectomy.

Studies on filtration rate in four species of suspension feeding bivalves

The filtration rates of four kinds of bivalves that were cultivated dominantly around Xiamen sea area were measured by using a laboratory flowing system. The experimental results were shown below: (1) Filtration rates were measured in the range of 54 - 74.8 ml/ (g·min) among the four bivalves , sequencing descently Saccostrea cucullata > Sinonovacula constricta > Mytilus viridis > Rudi-tapes philippinarum. (2) The relationship between filtration rates on individual size showed a negative exponential function (FR = aW^b, FR'aW^(b-1), with b - 1 =- 0.435 6 and -0.392. (3) Filtration rates on Skeletonema costatum were much higher than on Alexandrium tamarensis and Scripp-silla trochoidea inS. cucullata and R. philippinarum. (4)FR'on algal densities was also shown a negative function(FR' = aD^(b-1), with b -1 =- 0.143 and -0.215 2 in S.cucullata and R.philippinarum , respectively.

Dynamic changes of estimated glomerular filtration rate are conversely related to triglyceride in non-overweight patients

BACKGROUND Correlation between Triglyceride(TG)and estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)remains largely unknown in overweight and non-overweight patients.AIM To investigated the dynamic changes of eGFR and lipid profiles during 3-year tenofovir disoproxil fumarate(TDF)treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB)and overweight.METHODS A total of 202 CHB patients who received TDF treatment at the Third People's Hospital of Changzhou(Changzhou,China)and Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital(Nanjing,China)between January 2016 and May 2018 were retrospectively enrolled.According to the body mass index(BMI)at the initiation of TDF treatment,CHB patients were divided into overweight(BMI≥25 kg/m^(2))and nonoverweight(BMI<25 kg/m^(2))groups.Logistic regression was applied for the analysis of risk factors for eGFR<90 mL/(min·1.73 m^(2)).RESULTS There is no significant difference in hepatitis B virus DNA(HBV DNA)negativity and hepatitis Be antigen(HBeAg)loss between patients with overweight and nonoverweight(both P>0.05).More patients in non-overweight group achieved alanine aminotransferase normalization compared with those in overweight group(χ^(2)=11.036,P<0.01).In non-overweight patients,the eGFR significantly declined in the 1^(st) year(P<0.01),then remained at a relatively lower level.TG significantly declined in the 2^(nd) year(P=0.02)and increased in the 3^(rd) year.Moreover,TG was negatively correlated with GFR at the four-time points(P=0.002,0.030,0.007,0.008,respectively).In overweight patients,eGFR and TG remained relatively stable during the 3-year treatment,and eGFR showed no significant relationship with TG.Moreover,multivariate analysis showed that age[P<0.01,95%CI(0.97-1.005)]and baseline eGFR[P<0.01,95%CI(5.056-33.668)]were independent risk factors for eGFR<90 mL/(min·1.73 m^(2))at the 3^(rd) year.CONCLUSION Dynamic changes in renal function were conversely related to TG during TDF treatment in patients with CHB and normal BMI,but not with overweight.

Clinical Application of Monitoring Glomerular Filtration Rate and Effective Renal Plasma Flow

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) were measured by SPECT in 172 patients (192 times) with renal impairment due to various diseases and also in 18 normal controls. The results suggest that GFR and ERPF are sensitive and efficient renal function indicators in monitoring the change of the disease and assessing therapeutic effect. However, they should be checked carefully because of many factors affect the resutls of the measurement.

Study on the accuracy of glomerular filtration rate formulas by double plasma method as "gold standard"

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of glomerular filtration rate formula by comparising the CKD-EPI 2009 formula and the modified Modified MDRD formula with the 99mTc-DTPA double-phase plasma method as "gold standard" respectively. Methods: Totally 166 patients diognosed as chronic kidney disease (CKD) were enrolled. The 99mTc-DTPA double-plasma method (rGFR) was used as the "gold standard". The CKD-EPI 2009 formula and the modified MDRD formula were used to calculate eGFR. Statistical software was used to analyze the correlation between the calculated values of the two formulas and the gold standard value and the bias. Then we evaluated the accuracy of the two GFR formulas. Results: Among the CKD stage 1 patients, the bias of the CKD-EPI 2009 formula was smaller than that of the Modified MDRD formula (13.9911.45;20.1815.90);both formulas were weakly correlated with the gold standard (correlation coefficients were 0.216, 0.229, P<0.01, respectively);The probability that the bias of the calculated value of the CKD-EPI 2009 formula less than 15%, 30%, and 50% of the gold standard value is smaller. Among the CKD stage 2 patients, the bias of the CKD-EPI 2009 formula was smaller than that of the Modified MDRD formula (12.748.45;15.6811.01);both formulas were moderately correlated with the gold standard (correlation coefficients were 0.568, 0.581, P<0.01, respectively);The probability that the bias of the calculated value of the CKD-EPI 2009 formula less than 15%, 30%, and 50% of the gold standard value is smaller. Among the CKD stage 3 patients, the bias of the CKD-EPI 2009 formula was smaller than that of the Modified MDRD formula (12.6410.27;12.8810.97), and both formulas were strongly correlated with the gold standard (correlation coefficients were 0.664, 0.670, P<0.01, respectively);The probability that the bias of the calculated value of the Modified MDRD formula less than 15%, 30%, and 50% of the gold standard value is smaller. Among the CKD stage 4 to 5 patients, the bias of the CKD-EPI 2009 formula was smaller than that of the Modified MDRD formula (5.585.36;5.945.20);The CKD-EPI 2009 formula and the Modified MDRD formula were strongly correlated with the gold standard (correlation coefficient r was 0.808. 0.802, P<0.01, respectively);The probability of the bias of the calculated value of the CKD-EPI 2009 formula less than 15%, 30%, and 50% of the gold standard value is smaller. In patients with decreased renal function with GFR <60 ml/min, the sensitivity and positive predictive value of the CKD-EPI 2009 formula for the diagnosis of "decreased renal function"were higher, and the specificity was comparable. Conclusion: 1. When the renal function is only slightly decreased, the accuracy of the two formulas is not good. In this condition, the CKD-EPI 2009 formula is more accurate and recommended. 2. It is necessary to further improve the current formulas especialy when it comes to value the slightly declined renal function;3. When we try to identify the stage of CKD patients, only based on eGFR may cause misclassification, it is recommended to combine the cause-GFR-albuminuria staging to assess the stage of CKD;4. The current formulas have limitations.in the case that requires a highly accurate assessment of GFR, the 99mTc-DTPA dual plasma method is recommended.

The Choice Between Three Simple Methods for Glomerular Filtration Rate Assessment in Different Stages of Chronic Parenchymal Renal Diseases

Glomerular filtration rate （GFR） can be measured （mGFR） after intravenous application of indicators that are eliminated by kidneys or estimated （eGFR） using mathematic equations. We have compared eGFR obtained by the chronic kidney diseases epidemiology collaboration （CKD-EPI） and the Modification of diet in renal disease （MDRD） Study equations with GFR measured by technetium-99m diethylene triamine penta-acetic acid （99m^Te-DTPA） renal clearance in different stages of renal diseases in order that obtained results may contribute to more adequate choice of methods for the GFR assessment in relation to the type and stage of kidney disease. The study included a total of 189 participants with diabetes mellitus （DM）, glomerulonephritis （GN）, Balkan endemic nephropathy （BEN） and healthy subjects. 99m^Tc-DTPA clearance （ml/min/1.73 m^2） was calculated from the regression equation based on high correlation between distribution volume of radiopharmaceutical and clearance values obtained by multiple blood samples. For blood sample taken at 3 h and 4 h, clearance was calculated according to the equations： y = -0.0128x^2 ＋ 3.077x - 30.3, and y = -0.00628x^2 ＋ 2.066x - 19.3, where y is clearance, and x is distribution volume. MDRD-GFR （ml/min/l.73 m2） was calculated from equation： 186 × Scr^-1154 × age^-0.203 × 0.742 if female. CKD-EPI-GFR was calculated from equation： 141 × min（Scr/K, 1）^ α ×max（Scr/K, 1）^-1 209 × 0.993age × 1.018 if female, where Scr is serum creatinine, n is 0.7 for females and 0.9 for males, c~ is -0.329 for females and -0.411 for males, min indicates the minimum of Scr/K or 1, and max indicates the maximum of Scr/κ or 1. Irrespective of renal disease, both equations underestimated radionuclide clearance at mGFR 〉 90 ml/min/1.73 m^2 （91.7 ± 18.8 and 88.2 ± 22.0 vs. 121± 19.6, p〈0.0001） and at mGFR 60-89 ml/min/1.73 m^2 （67.1 ±19.9 and 65.8 ± 19.9 vs. 75.8 ± 9.2, p 〈 0.05 and p 〈 0.005）. They were also significantly lower than mGFR in DM patients with GFR 〉_ 90 ml/min/1.73 m^2. In patients with GFR 〉 60 ml/min/1.73 m^2, the median bias of CKD-EPI equation was lower and accuracy （percent of eGFR within 30% of mGFR, P30） was higher than that of MDRD equation. Nevertheless, in DM patients with GFR _〉 90 ml/min the accuracy of the former equation is significantly better than that of MDRD formula. Patients GFR 〈 60 ml/min had the similar bias and accuracy both eGFR equations. As CKD-EPI equation has lesser bias and improved accuracy than MDRD equation in patients with GFR 〉 60 ml/min, we suggest its use for prediction of GFR at higher renal function levels. However, underestimation of renal function by CKD-EPI equation seems not to be quite appropriate in diabetic patients with expected GFR above 90 ml/min because it may miss the patients with glomerular hyperfiltration. Thus, priority may be given to 99m^Tc-DTPA clearance method in the earlier stages of kidney diseases in type 1 diabetes mellitus. At last, in patients with expected GFR 〈 60 ml/min, it is better to monitor disease progression by estimating equations than by 99m^Tc-DTPA renal clearance, due to their simpler implementation.

Filtration rate and ingestion rate of Antarctic krill measured in vitro and in situ

During the summer cruise of R/V JIDI in 1992/1993 filtration rate and ingestion rate of Antarctic krill Euphausta superba Dana were measured by constant volume incubation, flow-through incubation and gut fluorescence method in the southern part of the Scotia Sea and in the Prydz Bay region. The mean filtration rate obtained by different methods ranged form 189. 8 to 459. 6 ml/h for sub-adult (60.6～205. 4 mg dry weight), and 253. 6～902. 1ml/h for adult (166. 8～598. 7 mg dry weight). No significant methedological effect was found on measurement of filtration rate if suitable experimental conditions were used with special respect to animal density and vessel volume. Within the range of food concentration (0. 44～3. 05μg chl-α/l) of our experiments. The ingestion rate increased with the increasing of food concentration, while the filtration rate didn't increase. The ingestion rate obtained by gut fluorescence method had no correlation with ambient chlorophyll α concentration.