title: Neutrophil Gelatinase Associated Lipocalin (NGAL) - a biomarker of renal dysfunction in patients with liver cirrhosis: Do we have enough proof?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Renal dysfunction has a serious impact on the natural evolution of liver cirrhosis. Treatment and prognosis may be improved if an early diagnosis could be established, and specific therapeutic interventions would be applied. Although RIFLE and AKIN classifications have been successfully implemented in the clinical practice of Nephrology and Intensive Care Units, these did not provide major improvements in patients with liver cirrhosis. In the last decade, various biomarkers of kidney injury have been assessed, and Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin (NGAL) is one of the most promising and most studied novel biomarker.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To offer a brief evaluation on current data on the utility of this biomarker in patients with liver cirrhosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We have searched through current literature and analyzed all significant full text articles on this topic.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NGAL and other new kidney injury molecules may be useful in patients with liver cirrhosis, particularly in identifying structural kidney dysfunction, but larger validation studies to confirm this observation are needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences I, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Craiova, Romania.
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Firu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences II, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Craiova, Romania.
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Streba
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Craiova, Romania.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Firu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Craiova, Romania.
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Tache
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Craiova, Romania.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rogoveanu
mesh_terms: D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D000071068:Lipocalin-2; D054834:Lipocalins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018570:Risk Assessment
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D015415:Biomarkers; C489506:LCN2 protein, human; D000071068:Lipocalin-2; D054834:Lipocalins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins
keywords: Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin (NGAL); kidney biomarker; liver cirrhosis; renal dysfunction