The Search Continues—An Ideal Marker of GFR

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Abstract
The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is generally considered the best measure of renal function despite the fact that the kidney performs an array of duties, including salt and water balance, erythropoiesis, bone metabolism, electrolyte homeostasis, and blood pressure control. GFR is traditionally measured as the renal clearance of a particular substance from plasma and is expressed as the volume of plasma that can be completely cleared of that substance in a unit of time. The ideal marker for GFR determinations would appear endogenously in the plasma at a constant rate, be freely filtered at the glomerulus, be neither reabsorbed nor secreted by the renal tubule, and undergo no extrarenal elimination. Although the ideal marker for measuring GFR has yet to be found, these characteristics can be useful benchmarks for comparing the advantages and disadvantages of new methods for GFR quantification.