Abstract
Context: Available markers are not reliable parameters to early detect kidney injury in transplanted patients.
Objective: Examine neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL) in early detection of delayed graft function (DGF) and as a long-term predictor of graft outcome.
Patients and methods: NGAL was evaluated in 124 transplanted patients.
Results: Urinary NGAL levels were associated to a 10% (HR: 1.10; 95% CI: 1.04–1.25; p < 0.001) and 15% (HR: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.09–1.26; p < 0.001) increased risk of DGF and allograft nephropathy progression, respectively.
Conclusion: NGAL reflects the entity of renal impairment in transplanted patients, representing a biomarker and an independent risk factor for DGF and chronic allograft nephropathy progression.
Acknowledgements
The authors appreciate the help in the collection of sample materials of Filippo La Spesa, Giorgio Damiani, Giuseppe Aiello and Rosario Lombardo, the nursing staff of the Nephrology ward of Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and Advanced Specialized Therapies, Palermo, Italy.
Declaration of interest
The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research reported. The authors have no financial relationships relevant to this article to disclose.