NGAL – Urinary Biomarker With Pathologic Significance in Nephrology Practice

Renal pathology is a pluralism of acute or chronic conditions in which the main victim is the nephron. Regardless of the nature of the injury, the primary lesion will always lead - in absence of efficient treatment - to end-stage kidney disease and renal replacement therapy. Although we are in the 21st century and amazing advances have been recorded in the medical field, the diagnosis of chronic kidney disease is performed - most frequently - based on the estimation of the glomerular filtration rate, based on serum creatinine. Unfortunately the serum creatinine level increases only when > 50% of the nephrons are already irremediably destroyed. In the last 20 years, an intensive research is performed in order to discover new plasma or urinary biomarkers for an earlier diagnosis of the renal pathology. Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) has a central place in this research, and its diagnostic and prognostic utility is proven particularly in acute kidney injury, but also in glomerulonephrites, diabetic nephropathy, and chronic kidney disease.