The possibilities of early acute kidney injury diagnostics using neutrophil gelatinasexassociated lipocalin (NGAL) in cardiology (review)

Renal failure due to ischemic reasons is a major risk factor for cardiovascular complications, particularly, in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Early preclinical renal dysfunction is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events and death as well as hospital readmissions. The use of acute kidney injury biomarkers in intensive therapy settings is necessary for early detection of acute kidney injury and prediction of fatal outcome and the need for renal replacement therapy. The review presents the results of some recent studies showing that neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a promising marker of acute kidney injury and can be used in the early diagnosis of the condition. The measurement of urine and plasma NGAL allows identification and stratification of patients with acute structural kidney injury following cardiac surgery regardless of preoperative risks and the type of surgery and is of a high predictive value.