title: Determination of reference values for urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin in premature infants.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study is to determine the reference values of urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL) in healthy very preterm infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was performed on 30 preterm infants whose gestational ages (GA) were between 28 and 34 weeks. They were divided into three groups according to the GA as group 1: GA 28-29 weeks, group 2: 30-32 weeks and group 3: 33-34 weeks. Blood and urine samples were obtained on postnatal (PN) days 1 and 7. uNGAL was measured by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 10 preterm infants for each group. The median values of uNGAL on PN Days 1 were 19.80 (8.6-25.7) ng/ml, 9.25 (1.42-30.3) ng/ml, and 7.95 (1.60-27.8) ng/ml in group 1, group 2 and group 3, respectively. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that uNGAL values are not associated with GA, birth weight, and gender in preterm infants on PN Days 1 and 7.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study indicated that normal values of uNGAL concentrations in healthy very preterm infants, and older children or adults are similar preterm infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Nephrology and.
authors.forename: Ahmet Taner
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Elmas
authors.forename: Yılmaz
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tabel
authors.forename: Sevcan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ipek
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000652:urine*; D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000652:urine*; D016014:Linear Models; D000071068:Lipocalin-2; D054834:Lipocalins / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000652:urine*; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; C489506:LCN2 protein, human; D000071068:Lipocalin-2; D054834:Lipocalins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins