Value Of Plasma Neutrophil Gelatinase-associated Lipocalin Research Articles

The value of plasma NGAL and NT-proBNP in the diagnosis of type 1 cardiorenal syndrome

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background The presence of acute kidney injury in the setting of acute heart failure (AHF) is common occurrence and was termed type 1 cardiorenal syndrome (CRS1). Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is one of the earliest biomarkers of acute kidney injury due to ischemia or renal toxicity. NT-proBNP has a role in the diagnosis of acute heart failure. Does the combination of NGAL and NT-proBNP increase diagnostic value of CRS1? This study was aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of plasma NGAL and NT-proBNP in diagnosis of CRS1. Methods there were 139 patients with AHF in the department of Cardiovascular resuscitation and Interventional cardiology Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam 115 People Hospital from September 2018 to March 2019. This was a prospective cohort study. Results the optimal cut-off plasma NGAL to diagnosing CRS1 was 353.23 ng/ml, Area Under Curve (AUC) 0.732 (95% CI 0.65-0.80, p < 0.001), sensitivity 74.47%, specificity 68.48%, positive predictive value 54.7%, negative predictive value 84%. The optimal cut-off NT-proBNP to diagnosing CRS1 was 17681 pg/ml, AUC 0.710 (95% CI 0.627-0.784, p < 0.001), sensitivity 54.2%, specificity 80.2%, positive predictive value 59.1%, negative predictive value 76.8%. Combination of plasma NGAL and NT-proBNP in diagnosing CRS1 with AUC 0.756 (95% CI 0.676-0.825, p < 0.001), sensitivity 77.1%, specificity 69.2%, positive predictive value 56.9%, negative predictive value 85.1%. Conclusions Combination of plasma NGAL and NT-proBNP in the diagnosis of type 1 cardiorenal syndrome with higher sensivity than each biomarker.

The value of plasma NGAL and Cystatin C in the diagnosis of type 1 cardiorenal syndrome

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background The presence of acute kidney injury in the setting of acute heart failure (AHF) is common occurrence and was termed type 1 cardiorenal syndrome (CRS1). Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is one of the earliest biomarkers of acute kidney injury due to ischemia or renal toxicity. Cystatin C has a role in the diagnosis renal dysfunction. Does the combination of NGAL and Cystatin C increase diagnostic value of CRS1? This study was aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of plasma NGAL and Cystatin C in diagnosis of CRS1. Methods there were 139 patients with AHF in the department of Cardiovascular resuscitation and Interventional cardiology Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam 115 People Hospital from September 2018 to March 2019. This was a prospective cohort study. Results the optimal cut-off plasma NGAL to diagnosing CRS1 was 353.23 ng/ml, Area Under Curve (AUC) 0.732 (95% CI 0.65-0.80, p < 0.001), sensitivity 74.47%, specificity 68.48%, positive predictive value 54.7%, negative predictive value 84%. The optimal cut-off Cystatin C to diagnosing CRS1 was 1.81 mg/l, AUC 0.787 (95% CI 0.71-0.852, p < 0.001), sensitivity 75%, specificity 83.5%, positive predictive value 70.6%, negative predictive value 86.4%. Combination of plasma NGAL and Cystatin C in diagnosing CRS1 with AUC 0.787 (95% CI 0.71-0.852, p < 0.001), sensitivity 72.9%, specificity 86.8%, positive predictive value 74.5%, negative predictive value 85.9%. Conclusions Combination of plasma NGAL and Cystatin C in the diagnosis of type 1 cardiorenal syndrome with higher specificity than each biomarker.

Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin Level Can Predict Early Organ Damage in Primary Hypertensive Patients: A Pilot Study.

Early detection and treatment of complicated arterial hypertension will prevent its effect on the target organs. In line with this purpose, we aimed to reveal the prediction capability of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin to complicated hypertension. In total, 46 patients with hypertension and 21 healthy volunteers were included in the study. Left ventricle morphology and geometry, as systolic and diastolic functions, were analyzed. Global longitudinal strain was measured from recorded apical 3-chamber views. An ophthalmic examination was performed to investigate the presence of retinopathy in individuals with hypertension. In addition, plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin values were evaluated via the method of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Both neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin levels and global longitudinal strain percentages were statistically significant between the groups with diastolic dysfunction and the groups without diastolic dysfunction. Complicated hypertension was detected in 42 patients. Here, it was found that the neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin level of 144.3 ng/mL predicted complicated hypertension with 0.872 sensitivity and 0.65 specificity values. Analyzing neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin levels in patients with hypertension in routine practice can easily and practically detect complicated hypertension patients earlier.

Abstract 13918: Prognostic Value of Plasma Ngal in the 12-month All-cause Mortality of Acute Heart Failure or Acute Decompensated Heart Failure

Introduction: The presence of acute kidney injury in the setting of acute heart failure (AHF) or acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is very common occurrence and was termed cardiorenal syndrome 1 (CRS1). Renal dysfunction is common in patients with AHF or ADHF and is associated with significant early and late morbidity and mortality. Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is an early predictor of acute kidney injury and adverse events in various diseases; however, in AHF or ADHF patients, its significance remains poorly understood. This study was aimed to evaluate the 12 month prognostic value of plasma NGAL in AHF or ADHF patients Hypothesis: plasma NGAL has value in prognosis of 12-month all-cause mortality of Acute Heart Failure or Acute Decompensated Heart Failure Methods: This was a prospective cohort study Results: there were 46 all-cause mortality cases (rate 33.1%) 12 months follow up after discharge. There were 11 cases (rate 7.9%) lost to follow-up; mean age 66.12 ± 15.77, men accounted for 50.4%. The optimal cut-off of NGAL for 12-month all-cause mortality prognosis was > 383.74 ng/ml, AUC 0.632 (95% CI 0.53-0.74, p = 0.011), sensitivity 58.7 %, specificity 68.29 %, positive predictive value 50.9%, negative predictive value 74.7%. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that the high plasma NGAL (≥ 400 ng/ml) group exhibited a worse prognosis than the low plasma NGAL (< 400 ng/ml) group in 12-month all-cause death (Hazard Ratio 2.56; 95%CI 1.35-4.84, P=0.0039. Independent predictors of 12-month all-cause-mortality were identified using multivarable Cox proportional-hazards regression models with backward-stepwise selection method consisted of two variables: level of NGAL, mechanical ventialtion at admission. Conclusions: Plasma NGAL and mechanical ventilation at admission were independent predictors of 12-month all-cause mortality in patients with AHF or ADHF. The survival probability 12-month follow-up of high level NGAL (≥ 400 ng/ml) groups were lower than that of low level NGAL (<400 ng/ml,), difference was statistically significant χ2 = 8.31; p = 0.0047 by Kaplan-Meier curves.

Value of Plasma NGAL in the Diagnosis of Cardiorenal Syndrome Type 1

Background: The presence of acute kidney injury in the setting of acute heart failure (AHF) or acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is very common occurrence and was termed cardiorenal syndrome 1 (CRS1). Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in the blood and urine is one of the earliest biomarkers of acute kidney injury due to ischemia or renal toxicity. This study was aimed to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of plasma NGAL in diagnosis of CRS1. Methods: there were 139 patients with AHF or ADHF in the department of Cardiovascular resuscitation and Interventional cardiology Ho Chi Minh City 115 People Hospital from September 2018 to March 2019. This was a prospective cohort study. Results: there were 48 cases (rate 34.5%) with CRS1, mean age 66.12 ± 15.77, men accounted for 50.4%. There were no significant differences of vital signs at admission, diagnosis, EF-based heart failure between CRS1 and Non-CRS1 groups. The urea, creatinin on first day (creatininD1) and third day (creatininD3), NT-proBNP, NGAL levels were higher in the CRS1group than Non-CRS1 group, p 353.23 ng/ml, Area Under Curve (AUC) 0.732 (95% CI 0.65-0.80, p < 0.001), sensitivity 74.47%, specificity 68.48%, positive predictive value 54.7%, negative predictive value 84%. Building the optimal regression model by the BMA (Bayesian Model Average) method with two variables NGAL and CreatininD1: Odds Ratio= ey while y = - 2.39 + 0.0037 x NGAL + 0.17 x Creatinin D1. The nomogram was designed to predict the likelihood of CRS1 with AUC 0.79. Conclusions: Plasma NGAL is quite good value in diagnosing of CRS1 in patients with acute heart failure or ADHF. A predictive model based on NGAL may help diagnosing CRS1 in patients with acute heart failure or ADHF

Value of Plasma NGAL and Creatinine on First Day of Admission in the Diagnosis of Cardiorenal Syndrome Type 1.

Background The presence of acute kidney injury in the setting of acute heart failure (AHF) or acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is a very common occurrence and was termed cardiorenal syndrome 1 (CRS1). Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in the blood and urine is one of the earliest biomarkers of acute kidney injury due to ischemia or renal toxicity. This study was aimed to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of plasma NGAL in the diagnosis of CRS1. Methods There were 139 patients with AHF or ADHF in the department of Cardiovascular Resuscitation and Interventional Cardiology at Ho Chi Minh City 115 People Hospital from September 2018 to March 2019. This was a prospective cohort study. Results There were 48 cases (rate 34.5%) with CRS1, mean age was 66.12 ± 15.77 and men accounted for 50.4%. There were no significant differences of vital signs at admission, diagnosis, and EF-based heart failure between CRS1 and non-CRS1 groups. The urea, creatinine on first day (creatinine D1) and third day (creatinine D3), NT-proBNP, and NGAL levels were higher in the CRS1 group than the non-CRS1 group, p < 0.05. The optimal cutoff plasma NGAL for diagnosing CRS1 was >353.23 ng/ml, area under curve (AUC) 0.732 (95% CI 0.65–0.80, p < 0.001), sensitivity 74.47%, specificity 68.48%, positive predictive value 54.7%, and negative predictive value 84%. Multivariable logistic regression analysis eGFRCKDEPID1 remained the strongest independent predictor of CRS1. Building the optimal regression model (without eGFRCKDEPID1) by the BMA (Bayesian model average) method with two variables NGAL and Creatinine D1, we had the equation: odds ratio = ey while y = −2.39 + 0.0037 × NGAL + 0.17 × Creatinine D1. The nomogram (without eGFRCKDEPID1) was designed to predict the likelihood of CRS1 with AUC 0.79. Conclusions The combination of plasma NGAL and creatinine D1 on the first day at admission had a high accuracy of predictive model for CRS1.

Plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin is independently associated with left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction in patients with chronic kidney disease.

BackgroundCardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) are known as predictors of CVD in these patients. Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a biomarker of acute kidney injury. Recently, elevated NGAL levels have been reported in patients with CVD. This study aimed to evaluate the association between plasma NGAL levels and LVH/LVDD in patients with CKD.MethodsThis study included 332 patients with pre-dialysis CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 ml/min/1.73m2). Two-dimensional echocardiography was performed to measure the left ventricular mass index (LVMI). Tissue Doppler imaging was used to measure early mitral inflow velocity (E) and the peak early mitral annular velocity (E'). Diastolic function was estimated using E' and the ratio of E to E' (E/E'). The associations of echocardiographic index with clinical and laboratory variables (age, sex, diabetes, hypertension, eGFR, albumin, uric acid, calcium, phosphate, total cholesterol, hemoglobin, C-reactive protein, intact parathyroid hormone (PTH), the inferior vena cava collapse index (IVCCI) < 50%, and plasma NGAL) were investigated using univariate and multivariate analyses.ResultsIn multivariate logistic regression analysis, plasma NGAL was an independent predictor of LVH (OR: 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01–1.02), P < 0.001). In addition, hypertension, intact PTH, and IVCCI < 50% were independent predictors of LVH. Plasma NGAL (OR: 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01–1.02, P < 0.001) was also an independent factor of LVDD. Furthermore, hypertension, intact PTH, and IVCCI < 50% were independent predictors of LVDD. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis (area under the curve: 0.835, 95% CI: 0.792–0.879) showed the best cutoff value of plasma NGAL for identifying LVDD was ≥ 258 ng/ml with an associated sensitivity of 77.6% and a specificity of 87.6%.ConclusionPlasma NGAL levels were independent predictors of LVH and LVDD in patients with pre-dialysis CKD, suggesting that plasma NGAL could be a biomarker for LVH and LVDD in these patients.

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and cardiovascular events in patients with stable coronary artery disease

Inflammation is an important mediator in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a small glycoprotein secreted by neutrophils. NGAL regulates the activity of matrix metalloproteinase-9, which plays a role in plaque instability. It has therefore been hypothesised that NGAL may modulate inflammation and promote the development and progression of atherosclerosis. Our aim was to assess the predictive value of plasma NGAL in a prospective cohort study of 876 high-risk patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). NGAL levels were measured using the NGAL TestTM from BioPorto Diagnostics. Clinical follow-up was performed after a median of 3.1 years. The endpoint was a combination of non-fatal acute myocardial infarction (MI), cardiovascular death (CVD), or ischaemic stroke. The NGAL concentration was (median [25;75%]: 64.3 µg/L [51.3;81.4]). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.56 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.49;0.64) for the diagnosis of the composite endpoint and 0.66 (95% CI: 0.56;0.75) after adding NGAL to high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), leucocyte count, interleukin-6 (IL-6), calprotectin, age, sex, body mass index (BMI), diabetes mellitus, smoking and creatinine. However, the AUC for hs-CRP, leucocyte count, IL-6, calprotectin, age, sex, BMI, diabetes mellitus, smoking and creatinine without NGAL was similar at 0.66 (95% CI: 0.56;0.76). NGAL alone had no predictive value with respect to the composite endpoint of non-fatal AMI, ischaemic stroke, or CVD in stable CAD patients. NGAL did not add any predictive value to the endpoint compared with existing inflammatory biomarkers and cardiovascular risk factors.

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin reflects inflammation and is not a reliable renal biomarker in neonates and infants after cardiopulmonary bypass: a prospective case-control study.

We prospectively enrolled 59 neonates and infants undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery for CHD and measured neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin in plasma and urine and interleukin-6 in the plasma. Values were correlated with postoperative acute kidney injury according to the paediatric Renal-Injury-Failure-Loss-Endstage classification. Overall, 48% (28/59) of patients developed acute kidney injury. Of these, 50% (14/28) were classified as injury and 11% (3/28) received renal replacement therapy. Both plasma and urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin values were not correlated with acute kidney injury occurrence. Plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin showed a strong correlation with interleukin-6. Urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin values correlated with cardiopulmonary bypass time. Our results suggest that plasma and urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin values are not reliable indicators of impending acute kidney injury in neonates and infants after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Inflammation may have a major impact on plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin values in infant cardiac surgery. Urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin may add little prognostic value over cardiopulmonary bypass time.

Predictive value of plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin for acute renal failure in patients with severe sepsis

BackgroundPredicting acute renal failure in patients with severe sepsis is important, because patients may need renal replacement therapy (RRT). Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) has been evaluated for its ability to detect and predict acute kidney injury (AKI) in critically ill patients. This study aimed to assess the predictive value of plasma NGAL for acute renal failure in adult severely septic patients. MethodsThirty healthy adults and 85 adult patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit (ICU) were enrolled. Serum creatinine, plasma NGAL, and interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, and IL-17 levels were evaluated. AKI was classified as Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss of kidney function, and End-stage kidney disease (RIFLE). ResultsRIFLE-Failure (RIFLE-F) developed in 30 of 76 (39.5%) patients with severe sepsis without chronic kidney disease within 7 days after ICU admission. Serum creatinine, plasma NGAL, IL-6, and IL-10 could predict RIFLE-F within 7 days after ICU admission. The discriminatory power of plasma NGAL was not significant for predicting hospital mortality. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of plasma NGAL was not higher than that of serum creatinine in predicting RIFLE-F within 7 days. ConclusionPlasma NGAL is a useful tool for predicting acute renal failure in adult patients with severe sepsis. Serum creatinine has a similar ability to detect RIFLE-F occurrence.

Value of plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin in predicting the mortality of patients with sepsis at the emergency department

BackgroundSepsis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the emergency department. This study aimed to evaluate the assessment of severity of sepsis by and prognostic value of plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) compared with other widely used biological markers of inflammation in patients with sepsis. MethodsNGAL, procalcitonin, and C-reactive protein values were measured in 470 patients with suspected sepsis, and the Mortality in Emergency Department Sepsis (MEDS) score was obtained for all enrolled subjects, who were followed for up to 28days. ResultsThe median plasma NGAL value was increased with sepsis severity according to the MEDS score. The plasma NGAL value was higher in nonsurvivors than in survivors. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of NGAL (0.797) was greater than that of procalcitonin (0.599) and MEDS score (0.774) in predicting 28-day hospital mortality. Multivariable logistic regression found that the plasma NGAL value was an independent predictor for hospital mortality in patients with sepsis. The plasma NGAL values were positively correlated with C-reactive protein and procalcitonin levels, and MEDS scores. ConclusionsPlasma NGAL is a valuable biological marker in the assessment of severity and prediction of prognosis of patients with sepsis in the emergency department.

Kinetic eGFR and Novel AKI Biomarkers to Predict Renal Recovery.

Prompt recognition of severe renal impairment could improve the early management of critically ill patients. We compared the value of kinetic eGFR, plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and urine tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 and urine insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7 ([TIMP-2]*[IGFBP7]) in predicting short-term recovery from AKI and major adverse kidney events. During the 6-month study period, 245 patients were admitted to our intensive care unit. This study included 57 consecutive patients presenting with AKI within the first 24 hours after admission. AKI markers were evaluated at inclusion (day 0) and 24 hours later (day 1). Kinetic eGFR was calculated on day 1 according to serum creatinine evolution. Renal recovery was defined as normalization of serum creatinine with reversal of oliguria within 48 hours. Major adverse kidney events included death, need for RRT, or persistence of renal dysfunction at hospital discharge. Plasma NGAL and [TIMP-2]*[IGFBP7] predicted renal recovery, with area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC) values between 0.70 and 0.79 at inclusion. Although plasma NGAL values frequently reached the maximal measurement range, their decrease on day 1 predicted recovery. The kinetic eGFR calculation after initial resuscitation provided the best AUC-ROC value for renal recovery, at 0.87. The best predictions for major adverse kidney events were provided by [TIMP-2]*[IGFBP7] and kinetic eGFR (equal AUC-ROCs of 0.81). Combining AKI markers in addition to clinical prediction models improved the discrimination and reclassification of patients who will recover from AKI or suffer from major adverse kidney events. Biomarkers of kidney damage predicted short-term renal recovery and major adverse kidney events for an unselected cohort of critically ill patients. Calculating the kinetic eGFR imposed a delay after initial resuscitation but provided a good diagnostic and prognostic approach. The utility of functional and damage AKI marker combinations in addition to clinical information requires validation in larger prospective studies.

Plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin as a potential predictor of adverse renal outcomes in immunoglobulin A nephropathy.

Background/AimsNeutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a well-known biomarker of acute kidney injury. We evaluated the value of plasma NGAL (pNGAL) as an independent predictor of prognosis in immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN).MethodsIn total, 91 patients with biopsy-proven IgAN at a single center were evaluated. pNGAL was measured using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit (R&D Systems). Adverse renal outcome was defined as chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 3 or above at the last follow-up. Pearson correlation coefficient and Cox regression were used for analyses.ResultsThe mean age of all patients (male:female, 48:43) was 35 years (range, 18 to 77). pNGAL ranged between 21.68 and 446.40 ng/mL (median, 123.97) and showed a correlation with age (r = 0.332, p = 0.001), creatinine (r = 0.336, p = 0.001), estimated glomerular filtration rate (r = -0.397, p < 0.001), uric acid (r = 0.289, p = 0.006), and the protein-to-creatinine ratio (r = 0.288, p = 0.006). During a mean follow-up period of 37.6 months, 11 patients (12.1%) had CKD stage 3 or above. In a multivariate Cox regression model, hypertension (hazard ratio [HR], 8.779; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.526 to 50.496; p = 0.015), proteinuria > 1 g/day (HR, 5.184; 95% CI, 1.124 to 23.921; p = 0.035), and pNGAL (HR, 1.012; 95% CI, 1.003 to 1.022; p = 0.013) were independent predictors associated with adverse renal outcome.ConclusionspNGAL showed strong correlations with other clinical prognostic factors and was also an independent predictor of adverse renal outcome. We suggest pNGAL as a potential predictor for prognosis in IgAN, while further studies are needed to confirm the clinical value.

Plasma Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin and Acute Postoperative Kidney Injury in Adult Cardiac Surgical Patients

Acute kidney injury (AKI) after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is associated with increased postoperative morbidity and mortality. We hypothesized that increased plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) measured immediately after separating from cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) would predict AKI after CABG surgery. In a retrospective observational study, we examined the value of plasma NGAL measured after CPB for predicting the risk of developing AKI (defined as a > or = 50% increase in serum creatinine from preoperative levels) in 879 patients after CABG surgery using multivariable logistic regression. Area under the curve of receiver operating characteristic curves was analyzed to assess sensitivities, specificities, and cutoff points for postoperative plasma NGAL levels to predict AKI. Seventy-five patients (8.6%) developed postoperative AKI. Plasma NGAL levels measured after CPB were higher in patients who subsequently developed AKI than in those who did not (AKI: 268.8 ng/mL [207.5-459.5 ng/mL], median [interquartile range], vs no AKI: 238.4 ng/mL [172.0-319.1 ng/mL]; P < 0.001) and remained higher through postoperative day 4. An optimal serum plasma NGAL cutoff of 353.5 ng/mL at the post-CPB time point had a sensitivity of 38.7%, specificity of 81.5%, and a positive predictive value of 16.3% for predicting AKI. In our multivariate regression model, post-CPB plasma NGAL levels >353.5 ng/mL were independently associated with postoperative AKI (odds ratio, 2.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-6.5; P = 0.002). An early increase of post-CPB plasma NGAL is associated with AKI in adult patients undergoing CABG surgery, although the sensitivity is low. Therefore, assessing early plasma NGAL alone has limited utility for predicting AKI in this patient population.

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin predicts acute kidney injury in critically ill patients

Plasma and urinary concentrations of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) are early biomarkers of acute kidney injury (AKI) [1]. Most studies about the NGAL value to predict AKI were done in patients after cardiac surgery and not enough information about its usefulness in critically ill patients exists. To analyze the predictive value of plasma NGAL to predict AKI, evaluated by RIFLE score, in critically ill patients, particularly in those with severe sepsis and septic shock.

The predictive performance of plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) increases with grade of acute kidney injury

In adult cardiac surgery, the predictive value for AKI of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) appears to have wide variability. The choice of definition of acute kidney injury (AKI) might, at least in part, account for such variability. In a prospective study of 100 adult cardiac surgery patients, we assessed the value of postoperative plasma NGAL in predicting AKI according to the degree of severity used for its definition. The predictive value of plasma NGAL varied according to the AKI definition used and was higher for more severe AKI (increase in creatinine >50%: mean AUC-ROC 0.79 +/- 0.01) compared to less severe AKI (>25%: mean AUC-ROC 0.65 +/- 0.02); P = 0.001. The discriminatory ability of NGAL for AKI also increased with increasing RIFLE classes (AUC-ROC R: 0.72, I: 0.79, F: 0.80) or AKIN stages (AUC-ROC 1: 0.75, 2: 0.78, 3: 0.81); P = 0.015. It was highest for the prediction of renal replacement therapy (AUC-ROC: 0.83). In adult cardiac surgery patients, the predictive value of NGAL increases with grade of AKI. This observation needs to be taken into account when interpreting any future studies of this biomarker.