Assessment of the CKD-EPI Equation to Estimate Glomerular Filtration Rate in Adults from a Chinese CKD Population

The Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation was introduced to estimate glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients based on serum creatinine. The CKD-EPI equation shows better accuracy compared with the current gold standard equation, the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation, but it has not been externally validated in Chinese patients. This study compared the CKD-EPI equation with the original MDRD equation and two Chinese MDRD-based equations for estimating GFR in 200 Chinese CKD patients. The Tc-99m-diethylenetriamine penta-acetate (Tc-99m-DTPA) method was used to determine actual GFR. The CKD-EPI equation produced GFR estimates that were more consistent with the Tc-99m-DTPA GFR than did the MDRD equations. The precision and accuracy of the CKD-EPI equation were significantly higher than those of the MDRD equations. In conclusion, the CKD-EPI equation was superior to the existing MDRD equations in terms of estimating GFR and we recommend its clinical use in Chinese CKD patients.