title: Urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin in septic preterm babies: a preliminary study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was conducted to evaluate the predictive value of urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL) for acute kidney injury (AKI) among septic preterm infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-six very low-birth-weight (VLBW) babies were separated into three groups: group I, healthy preterms; group II, preterms with sepsis but without AKI; group III, preterms with sepsis and AKI. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data of the babies were recorded. uNGAL and creatinine values were obtained on days 1, 3, and 7 of life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  uNGAL levels differed statistically among three groups for all 3 days. Levels in group I (days 1, 3, and 7) were significant lower than levels in both groups II and III [median (interquartile range): 4.5 (10.8) µ/L, 8.7 (18.5) µ/L, and 4.3 (1.1) µ/L, respectively]. In group III, uNGAL levels on days 1 and 3 were significantly higher than levels in group II (p = 0.001, 0.016, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  First-day uNGAL levels were higher in VLBW preterm infants who later developed sepsis; whether the baby had AKI or not; but uNGAL levels were higher in septic babies with AKI compared with the infants without AKI. uNGAL is a promising early biomarker of AKI in VLBW infants with sepsis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Ondokuz Mayis University Faculty of Medicine, Children's Hospital, Samsun, Turkey. gencdoc@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Gurkan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Genc
authors.forename: Bahattin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Avci
authors.forename: Canan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aygun
authors.forename: Ozan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ozkaya
authors.forename: Sukru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kucukoduk
mesh_terms: D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000652:urine*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000652:urine*; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000652:urine*; D054834:Lipocalins; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000652:urine*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D054834:Lipocalins; D003404:Creatinine