title: Urinary biomarkers in acute kidney transplant dysfunction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common medical problem among kidney transplant recipients, which may cause a significant impact on patient and allograft survival. Currently, an allograft biopsy remains the 'gold standard' for assessing the cause of impaired kidney function. Limitations of the allograft biopsy include the risk of bleeding, injury to the adjacent viscera, and the possibility of sampling error leading to an inadequate diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a comprehensive review of the literature and main published data that discussed the most relevant biomarkers in acute allograft dysfunction, along with their clinical significance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There have been significant discoveries of several important biomarkers that correlated with biopsy findings, clinical outcomes and possibly graft survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The discovery of surrogate biomarkers in kidney transplantation is an evolving field of crucial importance that mandates further collaborative efforts.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. nalachk1@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Nada
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Alachkar
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rabb
authors.forename: Bernard G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Jaar
mesh_terms: D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000652:urine*; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine; D016207:Cytokines / Q000652:urine; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000652:urine*; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines