Clinical utility of tubular markers in kidney disease: a narrative review

Background and Objective: Various tubular markers have been established for the diagnosis of kidney diseases and evaluation of treatment efficacy. Currently, there are limited treatments available for advanced kidney disease. Therefore, early identification of patients at high risk of progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is necessary for the provision of appropriate treatment at an early phase. The present review focuses on newly established urinary tubular markers, i.e., urinary [tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-2 (TIMP-2)]*[insulin-like growth factor binding protein-7 (IGFBP7)] and L-type fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP).