Abstract
BACKGROUND: To assess the utility of urinary neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (uNGAL) in the diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) in the context of sepsis. METHODS: In this retrospective study, a total of 142 patients with sepsis treated in the Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from January 2019 to January 2021 were included. Patients diagnosed with AKI complicated with sepsis were categorized into the AKI group (n=70 cases), and patients diagnosed with sepsis were classified into the non-AKI group (n=72 cases). We collected and analyzed data on serum creatinine (Scr) and uNGAL levels. The ROC (receivers operating characteristics) curve was used to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of uNGAL in the diagnosis of AKI with sepsis. RESULTS: The level of uNGAL in the AKI group increased over time following admission, which was not observed in the non-AKI group. Twenty-four hours after admission, the level of uNGAL in the AKI group was significantly higher than that in the non-AKI group (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in Scr level between the two groups (P > 0.05). At 72 hours after admission, the AUC of uNGAL in predicting AKI was 0.989 (95% CI: 1.018-1.085), and its intercept value was 961.3 ng/ml. At the same time, the correlation analysis showed that the level of uNGAL was positively correlated with the occurrence of AKI. CONCLUSION: uNGAL is superior to Scr for early diagnosis of AKI patients with sepsis.