New Lab Test Helps Predict Kidney Damage
A new laboratory test, urine neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL), will help predict if patients will develop acute kidney injury (AKI), a study in the
Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN) reported.
Another study in JASN also indicated that urine NGAL may help diagnosing HIV-related kidney disease affecting African Americans and black Africans.
Patients with higher urine NGAL levels in the ICU study were more likely to develop acute kidney injury. The rise in NGAL was present before any change in the standard test for AKI (serum creatinine level). However, without other information, urine NGAL had no effect in predicting AKI over clinical risk factors.
In the HIV study, levels of urine NGAL were much higher in patients with HIV-associated nephropathy (HIVAN) than in patients with other forms of kidney disease with or without HIV.
The study was supported by a NIH Grant; the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute; the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases; the Clinical Translational Science Award from the National Center for Research Resources; National Kidney Foundation Research Fellowship Award; the Vanderbilt Mentored Clinical Research Scholar Program; Emerald Foundation; the March of Dimes; NIDDK grants; and the Clinical Research Center of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
The studies will appear online at http://jasn.asnjournals.org/.