Webinar

Cystatin C: Its utility as an alternative for creatinine-based eGFR

Cystatin C, webinar, panel of experts, creatinine-based eGFR
Webinar developed for health professionals Cystatin C is a protein used as a biomarker for kidney function. A cystatin C test may be ordered as an alternative to a serum creatinine or urine albumin test. Measurement of serum cystatin C is gaining a greater role in the estimation of kidney function, especially with growing scrutiny of the inclusion of race modifiers in the creatinine-based eGFR equation.

During this interactive webinar, a multidiscipline panel of experts will delve into the utility of the cystatin C test in diagnosing kidney disease. They will discuss:

• Epidemiological argument for measuring cystatin C
• Benefits of cystatin C related to diagnosis, risk classification, and racial bias
• Practical barriers to ordering the cystatin C test
• Illustrative case examples

Moderator:

  • Silas Norman, MD, MPH
    University of Michigan

Panelists:

  • Josef Coresh, MD, PhD
    Johns Hopkins University
  • Michelle Estrella, MD, MHS
    University of California - San Francisco
  • Amy Karger, MD, PhD
    University of Minnesota
  • Michael Shlipak, MD, MPH
    University of California - San Francisco

About Gentian

Gentian is a Norwegian diagnostics company that specializes in making novel biomarkers available on the Particle-Enhanced Turbidimetric Immunoassay (PETIA) platform. The company's first commercially available product, The Gentian Cystatin C assay, was launched in 2006 and FDA 510k cleared in 2008. Gentian has since established itself as a global leader in the manufacture of cystatin C assays with its method being one of the few used to evaluate the commutability of the IFCC reference standard. Gentian's current portfolio of diagnostic reagents spans areas of kidney disease, cardiac disease, inflammation, infection and veterinary medicine.

Webinar is supported by:

Speakers

Silas Norman

Silas Norman, MD, MPH, University of Michigan

Dr. Norman is a transplant nephrologist and the Co-Medical Director of Kidney and Pancreas transplantation at the University of Michigan and the Director of the Transplant Multi-Specialty Ambulatory Clinic.

Dr. Norman received his medical degree from Wayne State University. He completed his residency training at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Norman completed his nephrology; transplant nephrology and Master of Public Health degrees at the University of Michigan. Dr. Norman’s research is focused on reducing health disparities and evaluation of medical frailty.

Dr. Norman also served for more than a decade on a number of committees for the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) including the Minority Affairs, Policy Oversight and Kidney Transplantation Committees and the UNOS Board of Directors. Dr. Norman is a member of the American Kidney Fund Board of Trustees and the incoming Vice-Chair.

Josef coresh

Josef Coresh, MD, PhD

Dr. Coresh is an international expert in kidney and cardiovascular disease epidemiology, having co-authored over 800 research articles cited over 100,000 times. He is the George W. Comstock Professor of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Medicine at Johns Hopkins University.

The chronic kidney disease definition, staging and estimated kidney function equation he helped develop with the CKD-EPI collaboration, are used globally. He co-leads the CKD Prognosis Consortium (CKD-PC) whose results based on over 80 cohorts and >10 million participants from 40+ countries has informed clinical practice guidelines, FDA and EMA policies.

He received the top scientific and patient impact awards of the US National Kidney Foundation (Eknoyan and Hume awards) and American Society of Nephrology (Belding Scribner award). His devotion to mentorship was recognized by awards from Johns Hopkins University and the American Heart Association.

 

Michelle Estrella

Michelle Estrella, MD, MHS

Dr. Estrella serves as Renal Section Chief at the San Francisco VA Health Care System. She is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

She obtained her medical degree at the University of Texas Health Science Center – Houston. She completed her clinical training in Internal Medicine and Nephrology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. She also obtained a Master’s degree in Health Science at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Her work aims to improve the understanding of kidney disease and its consequences, and to develop strategies that alleviate kidney disease burden, particularly among minority groups and persons living with HIV. Her work has grown to encompass: 1) identification of markers of kidney injury that will lead to earlier detection and management of kidney disease and 2) development of strategies that leverage care coordination and health technology to improve clinical outcomes in patients at risk and with kidney disease.

In addition to patient care and clinical research, some of her most rewarding professional experiences center upon mentorship and sponsorship. She serves as the Executive Director of the Kidney Health Research Collaborative, which aims to improve kidney health globally through highly innovative research in a collaborative environment and to train the next generation of promising young investigators.

Amy Karger

Amy Karger, MD, PhD

Dr. Amy Karger is an Associate Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of Minnesota. She received her MD and PhD degrees from the Mayo Clinic, and completed her residency and fellowship training in clinical pathology and clinical chemistry at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Karger has served as the director of the Central Laboratory for the CKD-EPI research group since 2015, and therefore has expertise on the measurement of filtration markers, including creatinine, cystatin C, beta-2 microglobulin, and beta-trace protein. Dr. Karger is a recognized leader in the field of laboratory medicine, currently serving in leadership roles with both the College of American Pathologists and the American Association of Clinical Chemistry, and is a Vice President and Chair of the Credentials Committee for the American Board of Clinical Chemistry. Dr. Karger has extensive experience directing or co-directing central laboratory testing for large clinical trials and multi-institutional research studies, including the Preventing Early Renal Loss in Diabetes (PERL) study and the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (EDIC) study.

Michael Shlipak

Michael Shlipak, MD, MPH

Dr. Shlipak is a Co-Founder and Scientific Director of the KHRC. He is also the Associate Chief of Medicine for Research at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and a Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. He graduated from Harvard Medical School and obtained his MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health. He completed internal medicine residency and a General Internal Medicine fellowship at UCSF. His research missions include the prevention of chronic kidney disease and its complications, and the development of investigators in clinical research. His research activities involve the detection and the determinants of kidney disease, and its association with adverse outcomes, including cardiovascular disease. He has been particularly focused on the use of cystatin C as a novel indicator of kidney function and its potential to improve understanding of kidney disease epidemiology and clinical care. He is the author of over 500 peer-reviewed manuscripts and was 1 of 16 co-authors for the 2013 KDIGO Guidelines on Definition and Classification of Chronic Kidney Disease. He recently Chaired the 2019 KDIGO Controversies Conference on CKD Detection, Risk Stratification and Treatment that concluded with recommendations for screening of persons with diabetes, hypertension, or cardiovascular disease with the combination of creatinine, cystatin C, and albuminuria testing. Dr. Shlipak’s research has been continuously funded by NIH grants for the past 21 years, in addition to research grants from the Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development Service, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the American Heart Association, and the American Federation for Aging Research.