Klotho protein as a biomarker for the detection and prognosis of acute kidney injury among adult patients in the intensive care units

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the clinical significance of serum Klotho protein levels in the early diagnosis and prognosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) among adult patients in the intensive care units (ICU). Methods The study was prospective and observational. Blood samples and clinical data of AKI patients admitted to the ICU of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University between July 1 and August 31, 2016 were collected. ELISA was used for the detection of Klotho and NGAL. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and the area under the curve (AUC) were used to compare the predictive performance among Klotho, NGAL and serum creatinine, evaluating the sensitivity and specificity of Klotho on the diagnosis of AKI. The correlation between Klotho and prognosis of AKI was investigated by comparing serum Klotho levels and early AKI predictors. Results The patients were divided into AKI group of 52 cases and non-AKI group of 98 cases. The baseline serum Klotho level in AKI group was significantly lower than that in non-AKI group (P 0.05). There was no significant correlation between the Klotho level at diagnosis of AKI and peak Scr, peak eGFR, Scr at discharge and eGFR at discharge (r=0.026, P=0.853; r=-0.127, P=0.368; r=0.243, P=0.082; r=-0.187, P=0.184). Conclusion Serum Klotho may be a potential biomarker for early diagnosis of AKI, but the association between serum klotho and the prognosis of AKI requires further study. Key words: Renal insufficiency, acute; Diagnosis; Prognosis; Klotho protein