Estimating glomerular filtration rate in HIV-infected adults in Africa : comparison of Cockcroft-Gault and Modification of Diet in Renal Disease formulae

Cockcroft-Gault (CG) and Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) formulae are recommended for glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimation, but neither has been validated or directly compared longitudinally in HIV-infected patients or in Africa. We investigated differences between formulae in baseline GFR, GFR changes and incidence of impaired GFR after initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in 3,316 HIV-infected adults in Africa, considering sex, age, body mass index and baseline laboratory parameters as predictors. Participants were 65% women, median age 36.8 years, median weight 56.7 kg. Baseline GFR was lower using CG (median 89 ml/min/1.73 m2, 7.4%