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Table 1 Clinical and Laboratory measurements within the ARK study, by country

From: How to estimate glomerular filtration rate in sub-Saharan Africa: design and methods of the African Research into Kidney Diseases (ARK) study

Type of information

Equipment

Field procedures

Participant type

Definition of variable

Site participation

Malawi

S. Africa

Uganda

Demographics

Questionnaire

Face-to-face interview

all

Sex, age, education status, marital status

x

x

x

Chronic disease history and family history

Questionnaire /medical records

Face-to-face interview

all

HTN, DM, CKD, Stroke, heart disease

x

x

x

Treatment history

Patient report/records

Face-to-face interview

all

HTN, DM, CKD, Stroke, HIV,TB, Heart disease, Cancer, Backache

x

x

x

Health behaviours

Patient report

Face-to-face interview

all

Tobacco use, alcohol consumption, Physical activity, vegetable, fruits, salt and water intake

x

 

x

Traditional medicine use

Questionnaire

Face-to-face interview

all

Use of herbs and traditional medicines

x

x

x

Physical examination

Omron®

SECA®

Flexible tape

SECA© scales

Clinical Examination in the field, machines calibrated weekly

all

BP (mmHg), waist and hip circumferences (cms), height (m), weight (Kgs)

x

x

x

ABPM

ABPM spacelabs®

24 h BP, 30 min interval day, 1 h interval night

Sample per eGFR quarter

BP wake periods and sleep periods

x

 

x

BIA

Bodystat®

Tested in the field or clinic with participant, calibration weekly

all

Fat mass (kg), Lean mass (kg), Dry lean mass(kg), Total body water (L), Impedance at 50 KHZ (Ω)

x

x

x

DXA SCAN

Hologic Discovery A. QDR 4500 Series

Whole body scan performed in clinical research clinic during iohexol testing

all

Lean Mass (g), Fat mass (g) Fat % and BMI

 

x

 

Ultra sound scan

Logiq e

Performed at clinic

all

Probe 4c for kidneys and bladder and probe12L CIMT probe

 

x

 

ECG

ECG 300A®/

MAC600®

ECG protocol followed

all

LVH using the Sokolow-Lyon criteria

x

x

x

CBC

BC®

Venous blood draw

all

Total cell count, HB, MCV

x

 

x

24 HR URINE

Cobas Roche®

urine using small bucket.

Select patients for 24 h proteinuria, salt and feasibility.

Volume (mls) Protein (mg)

Creatinine (mmol/L) Na+ mmol/L

  

x

Malaria screen

Malaria RDT®

Done in the community

all

Malaria infection

x

 

x

CRP

Cobas® & BC®

Blood draw

all

CRP

x

 

x

Hepatitis B

Cobas®

ABBOTT (i1000SR)

Blood draw

all

HepB SAg

x

x

x

Hepatitis C

Cobas® (Uganda), HCV antibody rapid test (Malawi)

Blood draw

all

HepC Ab

x

 

x

ASOT

Cobas® & BC®

Blood draw

All

> 300

  

x

HIV screen

Alere Dertemine-Stat-pak-Bio line & Abbott Determine

MOH serial testing algorithm

all

HIV status

x

x

x

Schistosomiasis

Microscopy

Examination of centrifuged urine

all

Schistosoma hematobium

x

x

x

Microalbuminuria

CLINITEK® + analyser & Cobas® & BC®

ACR

all

Urine ACR

x

x

x

Urine analysis

Clinitek® & UroColor

Early morning urine

all

Protein, blood, glucose, WBCs,

QuickVue Hcg Urine for pregnancy

x

x

x

Lipid profile

Cobas® & BC®

Blood draw

all

Cholesterol, LDL, HDL, TGs

x

 

x

RBS

BC®

Point of care testing (Uganda $ SA)

all

Diabetes > 11.1 or on medical treatment

x

x

x

HBA1C

Cobas® & BC®

Blood draw

All

6.5% or on treatment

x

 

x

Creatinine

Cobas® & BC®

Jaffe and IDMS

all

For eGFR estimation

x

x

x

Cystatin-C

Cobas®

 

all

For eGFR estimation

x

x

x

Iohexol

Omnipaque 300 mg I/ml

Healthcare®

HPLC®

Clinic based blood draws at 5, 120, 180 and 240 min after administration

all

Measured GFR

x

x

x

Iohexol, DBS

DBS®

DBS by finger prick at 120 and 240 min

300 selected by eGFR

Validation of measured GFR technique

  

x

Aldosterone/Renin

Cobas Roche®

 

Selected population

 

x

 

x

  1. All biochemistry was tested using Cobas equipment in Uganda and South Africa and Beckman Coulter equipment in Malawi
  2. Abbreviations: ABPM Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor, ACR Albumin Creatinine Ratio, ASOT Antistreptococcal antibody titres, BC® Beckman Coulter®, BIA Bioimpedance Analysis, BP Blood Pressure, CBC Cell blood count, CKD Chronic Kidney Disease, CRP C-Reactive protein, CIMT Carotid intima-medial thickness, DBS Dry blood sample, DM Diabetes Mellitus, ECG Electrocardiography, eGFR Estimated glomerular filtration rate, HB Haemoglobin, HTN Hypertension, HPLC High liquid pressure chromatography, IDMS Isotope dilution mass spectrometry, LVH Left ventricular hypertrophy, MCV Mean corpuscular volume, MOH Ministry of Health, RBS Random blood sugar, SA South Africa, TB Tuberculosis