We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App




Renal Biomarker Test Prevents Acute Kidney Injury

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 18 Oct 2017
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent complication among patients undergoing major surgery, and is known to increase morbidity, mortality risk, and costs. More...
Although the complication can be managed, today’s standard indicators of AKI, such as elevated levels of serum creatinine, may not be present until kidney damage has already occurred.

The levels of two biomarkers increase in a patient’s urine in response to the earliest kidney cell stress, which can lead to AKI if left unmitigated. The two markers, usually elevated before serum creatinine, are involved in G1 cell-cycle arrest, a protective mechanism that prevents stressed cells from dividing in case of DNA damage. This allows the biomarkers to function as an early alarm of kidney cell stress before major damage and progression to AKI.

Medical scientists at the University Hospital Regensburg conducted a prospective randomized and controlled trial on patients who had undergone major non-cardiac surgery were screened with the biomarker test immediately after admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). The urinary biomarker-triggered KDIGO care and was compared to standard ICU care in 121 patients with an increased AKI risk after major abdominal surgery that was determined by urinary biomarker. The biomarkers was inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 × insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7, equaled greater than 0.3. Incidence of overall AKI, severity of AKI, length of stay, major kidney events at discharge, and cost effectiveness were evaluated.

The team used the NephroCheck test, which is intended for use in conjunction with clinical evaluation of ICU patients who currently have or have had acute cardiovascular or respiratory compromise within the past 24 hours, as an aid in assessing the patient’s risk for moderate or severe AKI within the following 12 hours. Patients found to be NephroCheck test positive for the risk of AKI (AKI risk score greater than 0.3) were then randomized to standard care (61 patients) or intervention (60 patients). The NephroCheck test system is intended to be used in patients 21 years of age or older.

The study’s primary endpoint was the incidence of AKI during the first seven days after surgery. In the intervention group, 19 patients (31.7%) developed some level of AKI; in the control group, 29 patients (47.5%) developed some level of AKI. Biomarker-guided therapy significantly reduced the incidence of moderate and severe AKI in the intervention group to 6.7% compared to 19.7% in the standard care group, a 66% reduction.

Ivan Göcze, MD, the lead author of the study, said, ““It appears the prediction of imminent AKI at the very early stage, followed by optimal fluid resuscitation with less positive fluid balance and kidney protection, led to the improved outcomes, meaning the reduced incidence and severity of AKI, as well as a decrease in postoperative creatinine levels and length of hospital stay,” The study was originally published on August 29, 2017, in the journal Annals of Surgery.

Related Links:
University Hospital Regensburg


Gold Member
Blood Gas Analyzer
Stat Profile pHOx
Portable Electronic Pipette
Mini 96
New
Sample Transportation System
Tempus1800 Necto
New
Gold Member
Automatic Hematology Analyzer
DH-800 Series
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: The study has linked blood proteins to Alzheimer’s disease and memory loss (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Blood Test Could Detect Proteins Linked to Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Loss

Alzheimer’s disease has long been associated with sticky amyloid plaques in the brain, but these markers alone do not fully explain the memory loss and cognitive decline patients experience.... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: New research points to protecting blood during radiation therapy (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Pioneering Model Measures Radiation Exposure in Blood for Precise Cancer Treatments

Scientists have long focused on protecting organs near tumors during radiotherapy, but blood — a vital, circulating tissue — has largely been excluded from dose calculations. Each blood cell passing through... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: An adult fibrosarcoma case report has shown the importance of early diagnosis and targeted therapy (Photo courtesy of Sultana and Sailaja/Oncoscience)

Accurate Pathological Analysis Improves Treatment Outcomes for Adult Fibrosarcoma

Adult fibrosarcoma is a rare and highly aggressive malignancy that develops in connective tissue and often affects the limbs, trunk, or head and neck region. Diagnosis is complex because tumors can mimic... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: Conceptual design of the CORAL capsule for microbial sampling in the small intestine (H. Mohammed et al., Device (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.device.2025.100904)

Coral-Inspired Capsule Samples Hidden Bacteria from Small Intestine

The gut microbiome has been linked to conditions ranging from immune disorders to mental health, yet conventional stool tests often fail to capture bacterial populations in the small intestine.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.