The search for a new marker of renal function in older patients with chronic kidney disease stages 3-4: usefulness of cystatin C-based equations.

Background/aim: Cystatin C (Cys C) is an endogenous marker of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) unaffected by body composition. The aim of the present study was to assess the utility of Cys C-based GFR prediction equations (Hoek, Larsson and Stevens) and creatinine (modification of diet in renal disease-isotope dilution mass spectrometry--MDRD-IDMS, and Cockcroft-Gault--CG) compared with 51Cr-EDTA.

Methods: This study was carried out in 40 Caucasian older patients with advanced age (> or = 60) and chronic kidney disease stages 3-4.

[Evaluation of candidates for living donor kidney transplantation].

Living donor kidney transplantation has become the option of preference for the treatment of endstage renal disease, whenever its performance is possible. The advantages of patient and graft survival should be balanced with risks associated with donation. Therefore, the evaluation of candidates for living donor kidney transplantation is mainly the comprehensive evaluation of these risks: medical, psychological, social and economic.