Urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin as a clinical biomarker in patients with diabetic nephropathy in Beni-Suef Governorate, Egypt

Aim To demonstrate the importance of the marker of tubulointerstitial damage, urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL), in the follow-up of the progression of chronic kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Patients and methods A total of 60 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with various degrees of renal impairment were subdivided into three categories based on urine albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR): 20 patients with normoalbuminuria ( 300 mg albumin/g Cr). Few exclusion criteria were considered such as infections, neoplasia, and any inflammation that could interfere with uNGAL measurement. Twenty healthy individuals were taken as a control group. Serum creatinine, UACR, urine protein, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) are measured to determine their correlation with uNGAL, which was measured using a suitable human NGAL ELISA kit. The Modification of Diet in Renal Disease formula was used to calculate the eGFR in patients. Results The differences between the means of uNGAL in the different patients’ groups were found to be highly statistically significant (P<0.05). There was a significant negative relationship (inverse correlation) between uNGAL levels and eGFR in the three patient groups (P<0.05) and also a converse correlation was noted between uNGAL and UACR in the various patient groups involved in the study (P<0.05). Conclusion NGAL may be useful as a clinical marker to predict and assess the progression of diabetic nephropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with nephropathy.