Role of NGAL for the Early Detection of Acute Kidney Injury

The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) is estimated to be from 5% of hospitalized patients to 30–50% of patients in intensive care units, and nowadays there is significant evidence of an increase in its incidence (1, 2). The incidence of both AKI (formerly, acute renal failure) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) has already developed epidemic proportions. In both conditions, early intervention can substantially improve the prognosis. However, the lack of early, predictive and non-invasive biomarkers may lead to delayed initiation of potentially useful therapies for these common clinical settings (3).