Urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is widely used as a biomarker for acute kidney injury. Cross-sectional\nstudies have shown that NGAL may be elevated in glomerular diseases, but there is limited information on the value of NGAL in\npredicting treatment response or on the changes of NGAL levels after therapy.We prospectively evaluated the effects of therapy on\nNGAL in nondiabetic glomerular diseases. Urine NGAL was collected at biopsy and follow-up at 12 months. At baseline, NGAL\nin glomerular disease patients (n = 43) correlated with proteinuria, but not with glomerular filtration rate (GFR). After therapy\nwith renin-angiotensin blockers and/or immune modulating agents, change of NGAL correlated with change of proteinuria, but\nnot with change of GFR. NGAL at baseline was not different between patients in complete remission (CR) at follow-up compared\nto those not in remission (NR). Compared to baseline, NGAL at follow-up decreased in CR (n = 10), but not in NR. Change of\nNGAL was greater in CR than NR. In conclusion, the change of urine NGAL correlated with the change of proteinuria. Baseline\nNGAL was not a predictor of complete remission. Future studies will be necessary to determine the role of NGAL as a predictor of\nlong term outcome in proteinuric glomerular diseases.
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