Usefulness of Biochemical Markers in Monitoring Renal Function in Chronic Kidney Disease

Abstract

Aims: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common, progressive, and dynamic disease. It often regresses over time despite the fact that treatment has been shown to slow the progression of the disease. Biomarkers allow monitoring of disease activity in the early stages of the disease. Biochemical markers, such as serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and estimated glomerular filtration rate, are routinely used to assess kidney function. Study Design: Samples were collected from different hospitals in Baghdad Governorate, Iraq (Iraq Dialysis centre - Al-Zohour Dialysis centre - Al-Yarmouk Hospital Dialysis Center - Shallal Al-Sadrain Dialysis centre), during the period from November 2023 to May 2024. Methodology: The study included 75 patients with CKD, aged (35 to 75 years), and the ratio of males to females according to disease group (Group 1 15/10 - Group 2 18/12 - Group 3 12/8). And who were receiving treatment in the nephrology unit. The disease groups were divided according to the severity of the disease: Stage 1: early onset of disease. Stage 2: moderate renal impairment. Stage 3: severe renal impairment and end-stage renal failure. Results: After the proposed treatment period (6 months of treatment), all groups showed improvement in key biochemical markers, with differential improvement in half of them based on the extent of chronic kidney disease. For example, group 2 (stage 3 chronic kidney disease) had blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, and estimated glomerular filtration rate of 35 ± 3 to 28 ± 2 mg/dL, serum creatinine of 2.8 ± 0.3 to 2.3 ± 0.2 mg/dL, and glomerular filtration rates ranging from 45 ± 8 to 55 ± 6 ml/min/1.73 m. The results showed that patients with early CKD responded better to treatment, mainly due to relative preservation of kidney function. Conclusion: This study investigates the usefulness of these indicators in monitoring CKD activity and evaluating the feasibility of therapeutic interventions.