New anthropometry-based age- and sex-specific reference values for urinary 24-hour creatinine excretion based on the adult Swiss population (epublish)

BACKGROUND: Urinary creatinine excretion is used as a marker of completeness of timed urine collections, which are a keystone of several metabolic evaluations in clinical investigations and epidemiological surveys. METHODS: We used data from two independent Swiss cross-sectional population-based studies with standardised 24-hour urinary collection and measured anthropometric variables. Only data from adults of European descent, with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥60 ml/min/1.73 m2 and reported completeness of the urinary collection were retained. A linear regression model was developed to predict centiles of the 24-hour urinary creatinine excretion in 1,137 participants from the Swiss Survey on Salt and validated in 994 participants from the Swiss Kidney Project on Genes in Hypertension. RESULTS: The mean urinary creatinine excretion was 193 ± 41 μmol/kg/24 hours in men and 151 ± 38 μmol/kg/24 hours in women in the Swiss Survey on Salt. The values were inversely correlated with age and body mass index (BMI). CONCLUSIONS: We propose a validated prediction equation for 24-hour urinary creatinine excretion in the general European population, based on readily available variables such as age, sex and BMI, and a few derived normograms to ease its clinical application. This should help healthcare providers to interpret the completeness of a 24-hour urine collection in daily clinical practice and in epidemiological population studies.

Plant and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal diversity - are we looking at the relevant levels of diversity and are we using the right techniques?

Fungal symbionts commonly occur in plants influencing host growth, physiology, and ecology (Carlile et al., 2001). However, while whole-plant growth responses to biotrophic fungi are readily demonstrated, it has been much more difficult to identify and detect the physiological mechanisms responsible. Previous work on the clonal grass Glyceria striata has revealed that the systemic fungal endophyte Epichloë glyceriae has a positive effect on clonal growth of its host (Pan & Clay, 2002; 2003). The latest study from these authors, in this issue (pp. 467- 475), now suggests that increased carbon movement in hosts infected by E. glyceriae may function as one mechanism by which endophytic fungi could increase plant growth. Given the widespread distribution of both clonal plants and symbiotic fungi, this research will have implications for our understanding of the ecology and evolution of fungus-plant associations in natural communities.

Team Diversity Newsletter, Vol 3, no.1, March/April 1998

Newsletter produced by Iowa Civil Right Commission for the community about the community.

Team Diversity Newsletter, Vol.1, no. 6, January/February 1997

Newsletter produced by Iowa Civil Right Commission for the community about the community.

Team Diversity Newsletter, Vol 2, no. 1, March/April 1997

Newsletter produced by Iowa Civil Right Commission for the community about the community.

Team Diversity Newsletter, Vol 2, no. 2, May/June 1997

Newsletter produced by Iowa Civil Right Commission for the community about the community.

Team Diversity Newsletter, Vol 2, no.3, July/August 1997

Newsletter produced by Iowa Civil Right Commission for the community about the community.

Team Diversity Newsletter, Vol 2, no.4, September/October 1997

Newsletter produced by Iowa Civil Right Commission for the community about the community.

Team Diversity Newsletter, Vol 2, no.5, November/December 1997

Newsletter produced by Iowa Civil Right Commission for the community about the community.

Team Diversity Newsletter, Vol 2, no.6, January/February 1998

Newsletter produced by Iowa Civil Right Commission for the community about the community.

Team Diversity Newsletter, Vol 3, no.1, March/April 1998

Newsletter produced by Iowa Civil Right Commission for the community about the community.

Team Diversity Newsletter, Vol 4, no.1, October, 1999

Newsletter produced by Iowa Civil Right Commission for the community about the community.

Team Diversity Newsletter, Vol 3, no.2, May/June 1998

Newsletter produced by Iowa Civil Right Commission for the community about the community.

Team Diversity Newsletter, Vol 3, no.3, July/August 1998

Newsletter produced by Iowa Civil Right Commission for the community about the community.