Back
Introduction: Guidelines recommend switching estimation of glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) from the CKiD-U25 to the CKD-EPI formula at age 18. We investigated how this would affect chronic kidney disease (CKD) classification.
Methods: Serum creatinine was enzymatically measured in 1061 samples (one to two per patient) from 914 community-based 10-23 year--olds from Tlaxcala (located at the Meso-American region of México), who are at-risk of exposure to toxic trace elements, and possibly developing chronic kidney disease (CKD). We calculated their eGFR using CKiD-U25, modified Schwartz, Pottel full-age spectrum (FAS) and CKD-EPI formulae and performed correlation analysis, Bland & Altman analysis, characterizing CKD stage stratified by age and sex.
Results: At baseline, the median age was 13 (IQR:12,15) years, and 55% were female. Median CKiD-U25 eGFR was 969 (IQR:833,1133) mL/min/173m2, significantly lower than the CKD-EPI eGFR which was 1408 (IQR:1299,1493) mL/min/173m2 (p<00001, Wilcoxon rank test). Mean bias was 3699±1289 mL/min/173m2. Pearson correlation was r=08296 (95% confidence interval 00898-08474). There was a better correlation between the modified Schwartz formula (r=09421(09349,09485)) and the Pottel FAS (r=09299(09212,09376)). Agreement was particularly low with eGFR >75mL/min/173 m2, in younger age and female sex. Modified Schwartz identified 281(264%) measurements as has having CKD 2 and 3 (2+), U25 identified 401 (37∙7%) measurements as has having CKD 2+, FAS identified 267 (25∙1%) measurements as has having CKD 2+, and CKD-EPI identified 51 (4∙8%) measurements as has having CKD 2+, respectively.
Conclusions: In this population, there was poor agreement between the various eGFR formulae. CKD-EPI identifies substantially fewer at-risk participants as having CKD. Based on our findings, switching from a paediatric approach to CKD-EPI at age 18 may not be accurate. However, since cystatin C is not available in many less-resourced countries, the data here favour the use of the modified Schwartz formula up to age 23.