title: Performance of urinary liver-type fatty acid-binding protein in acute kidney injury: a meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Urinary liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) is a proximal tubular injury candidate biomarker for early detection of acute kidney injury (AKI), with variable performance characteristics depending on clinical settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Meta-analysis of diagnostic test studies assessing the performance of urinary L-FABP in AKI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Literature search in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Google Scholar, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and ClinicalTrials.gov using search terms "liver-type fatty acid-binding protein" and "L-FABP."
  
  
  METHODS
  Studies of humans investigating the performance characteristics of urinary L-FABP for the early diagnosis of AKI and AKI-related outcomes, including dialysis requirement and mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Urinary L-FABP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Diagnosis of AKI, dialysis requirement, and in-hospital death.
  
  
  RESULTS
  15 prospective cohort and 2 case-control studies were identified. Only 7 cohort studies could be meta-analyzed. The estimated sensitivity of urinary L-FABP level for the diagnosis of AKI was 74.5% (95% CI, 60.4%-84.8%), and specificity was 77.6% (95% CI, 61.5%-88.2%). The estimated sensitivity of urinary L-FABP level for predicting dialysis requirement was 69.1% (95% CI, 34.6%-90.5%), and specificity was 42.7% (95% CI, 3.1%-94.5%); for in-hospital mortality, sensitivity and specificity were 93.2% (95% CI, 66.2%-99.0%) and 78.8% (95% CI, 27.0%-97.4%), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Paucity and low quality of studies, different clinical settings, and variable definitions of AKI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although urinary L-FABP may be a promising biomarker for early detection of AKI and prediction of dialysis requirement and in-hospital mortality, its potential value needs to be validated in large studies and across a broader spectrum of clinical settings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Kidney and Dialysis Research Laboratory, St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, Boston, MA 02135, USA.
authors.forename: Paweena
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Susantitaphong
authors.forename: Monchai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siribamrungwong
authors.forename: Kent
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Doi
authors.forename: Eisei
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Noiri
authors.forename: Norma
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Terrin
authors.forename: Bertrand L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Jaber
mesh_terms: D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000652:urine*; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins / Q000652:urine*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins