[NGAL: a biomarker of acute and chronic renal dysfunction]

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a glycoprotein of 25 kDa belonging to the superfamily of lipocalins, which counts low molecular mass proteins having the capacity to fix the iron. The NGAL presents bacteriostatic properties and is a factor of growth and differentiation, especially in response to renal tissue damage and during the nephrogenesis. Since the past 10 years, numerous clinical studies suggest that urinary and/or blood levels of NGAL could be a relevant biomarker of acute or chronic renal failure, in particular in the context of the diabetic nephropathy. NGAL could be a more sensitive and more specific marker than the albuminuria and might detect the early appearance of the renal lesions, and thus could be useful to prevent or reduce severity of renal function alterations.