Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin at intensive care unit admission predicts for acute kidney injury in adult patients

Objective To assess the value of plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin(NGAL) to predict acute kidney injury(AKI) and the ability of plasma NGAL to predict AKI severity in adult critically ill patients at intensive care unit(ICU) admission.Methods We collected 316 cases over a year period during Aug.2009-Aug.2010 in ICU,then divided the patients into four groups according to AKI network(AKIN)(non-AKI,AKI risk group,AKI injury group and AKI failure group).Then,we compared the differences of variables among different groups.Receiver operating characteristic cure(ROC) method was applied to evaluate plasma NGAL predictive value of AKI.Results Plasma NGAL values at ICU admission were significantly related to AKI.Plasma NGAL was obviously higher in AKI group than non-AKI group,(293.284±91.831) μg/L and(183.517±141.141) μg/L,respectively.Plasma NGAL concentration changed with the severity of AKI.The areas under the ROC for plasma NGAL were AKI 0.797(95%CI=0.750-0.844,P0.05),kidney injury 0.892(95%CI=0.853-0.931,P0.05),and kidney failure 0.960(95%CI=0.927-0.993,P0.05),respectively.Conclusion Plasma NGAL should be served as an early warning marker for patients with AKI at ICU admission.Plasma NGAL can be used as a serious degree evaluation criterion of AKI.