title: Plasma and urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in dogs with acute kidney injury or chronic kidney disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a protein that is used in human medicine as a real-time indicator of acute kidney injury (AKI).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Dogs with AKI have significantly higher plasma NGAL concentration and urine NGAL-to-creatinine ratio (UNCR) compared with healthy dogs and dogs with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
  
  
  METHODS
  18 healthy control dogs, 17 dogs with CKD, and 48 dogs with AKI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Over a period of 1 year, all dogs with renal azotemia were prospectively included. Urine and plasma samples were collected during the first 24 hours after presentation or after development of renal azotemia. Plasma and urine NGAL concentrations were measured with a commercially available canine NGAL Elisa Kit (Bioporto® Diagnostic) and UNCR was calculated. A single-injection plasma inulin clearance was performed in the healthy dogs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median (range) NGAL plasma concentration in healthy dogs, dogs with CKD, and AKI were 10.7 ng/mL (2.5-21.2), 22.0 ng/mL (7.7-62.3), and 48.3 ng/mL (5.7-469.0), respectively. UNCR was 2 × 10(-8) (0-46), 1,424 × 10(-8) (385-18,347), and 2,366 × 10(-8) (36-994,669), respectively. Dogs with renal azotemia had significantly higher NGAL concentrations and UNCR than did healthy dogs (P < .0001 for both). Plasma NGAL concentration was significantly higher in dogs with AKI compared with dogs with CKD (P = .027).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma NGAL could be helpful to differentiate AKI from CKD in dogs with renal azotemia.
authors.affiliation: Small Animal Clinic (Internal Medicine), Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Steinbach
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schweighauser
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Francey
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Neiger
mesh_terms: D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000652:urine / Q000662:veterinary*; D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000652:urine; D000818:Animals; D053099:Azotemia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000652:urine / Q000662:veterinary; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000652:urine; D004285:Dogs; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D054834:Lipocalins / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000652:urine / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D015415:Biomarkers; D054834:Lipocalins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; C000589991:neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin protein, dog
keywords: AKI; CKD; Lipocalin-2; renal function