Laboratory Working Group
Purpose of the Working Group
The NIDDK Laboratory Working Group aims to improve laboratory measurement of biomarkers used in the detection and management of chronic kidney disease, including serum creatinine, urine albumin and cystatin C.
Key Activities
- Serum creatinine standardization. The group was initially created to review and address the problems related to serum creatinine measurement for estimating GFR, and to prepare recommendations to standardize and improve creatinine measurement. Its work was published in Clinical Chemistry, and updated recommendations can be found on the Creatinine Standardization Program page. The Laboratory Working Group's creatinine standardization work also involved providing information to ensure appropriate dosing for medications that impact kidney function.
- Urine albumin measurement and reporting. Work is ongoing to standardize measurement and reporting of urine albumin. Key activities include development of reference measurement procedures for urine albumin, and certified reference materials suitable for use as calibrators.
- Kidney function estimation. Work is ongoing to refine the implementation of biomarkers used to estimate kidney function. These include decreasing the reliance on ambiguous variables in estimating kidney function, such as race. Measures to facilitate the implementation of alternative biomarkers to serum creatinine, such as cystatin C, are also being considered.
Laboratory Working Group Members
Members represent a cross section of leading experts in the clinical laboratory community.
- Greg Miller, Ph.D. Working Group Chair
Co-Director, Clinical Chemistry and Director, Pathology Information Systems
Virginia Commonwealth University - Lorin Bachmann, Ph.D.
Co-Director, Clinical Chemistry
Virginia Commonwealth University - Joris Delanghe, Ph.D.
Department of Clinical Chemistry
University Hospital Ghent - John Eckfeldt, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology
University of Minnesota - James Fleming, Ph.D., F.A.C.B.
Department of Science and Technology
Laboratory Corporation of America - Neil Greenberg, Ph.D.
Consultant
Rochester, New York - Glen Hortin, M.D., Ph.D.
Senior Member
Moffitt Cancer Center - Lesley A. Inker, M.D., M.S.
Associate Professor of Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine
Tufts Medical Center
- Harvey Kaufman, M.D.
Senior Medical Director, Medical Informatics
Quest Diagnostics
- Anthony Killeen, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor and Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs
Laboratory Medicine and Pathology
University of Minnesota
- John Lieske, M.D.
Professor of Medicine and Director
Mayo Clinic Renal Testing Laboratory
- Gary Myers, Ph.D.
Consultant
Atlanta, Georgia - Afshin Parsa, M.D., M.P.H.
Program Director
Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
National Institutes of Health - Mauro Panteghini, M.D.
Clinical Pathologist
Cattedra di Biochimica Clinica e Biologia Molecolare Clinica
University of Milan, Italy - Karen Phinney, Ph.D.
Analytical Chemistry Division
National Institute of Standards and Technology - David W. Seccombe, M.D., Ph.D., F.R.C.P.C.
Managing Director
Canadian External Quality Assessment Laboratory (CEQAL) - Jesse C. Seegmiller, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology
University of Minnesota
Contacts for questions:
Jenna Norton and Afshin Parsa
Last Reviewed October 2023