Clinical Information

Creatinine is formed from the metabolism of creatine and phosphocreatine, both of which are principally found in muscle. Thus, the amount of creatinine produced is, in large part, dependent upon the individual's muscle mass and tends not to fluctuate much from day-to-day.

Creatinine is not protein bound and is freely filtered by glomeruli. All of the filtered creatinine is excreted in the urine. Renal tubular secretion of creatinine also contributes to a small proportion of excreted creatinine. Although most excreted creatinine is derived from an individual's muscle, dietary protein intake, particularly of cooked meat, can contribute to urinary creatinine levels.

The renal clearance of creatinine provides an estimate of glomerular filtration rate. Since creatinine, for the most part, in the urine only comes from filtration, the concentration of creatinine reflects overall urinary concentration. Therefore, creatinine can be used to normalize other analytes in a random urine specimen.