Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 17, 2026

Noninvasive and Invasive Renal Hypoxia Monitoring in a Porcine Model of Hemorrhagic Shock
Published on: October 28, 2022
Biomarkers in acute kidney injury - pathophysiological basis and clinical performance
E V Schrezenmeier1,2, J Barasch3, K Budde1
1Department of Nephrology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Abstract:
Various biomarkers of acute kidney injury (AKI) have been discovered and characterized in the recent past. These molecules can be detected in urine or blood and signify structural damage to the kidney. Clinically, they are proposed as adjunct diagnostics to serum creatinine and urinary output to improve the early detection, differential diagnosis and prognostic assessment of AKI. The most obvious requirements for a biomarker include its reflection of the underlying pathophysiology of the disease. Hence, a biomarker of AKI should derive from the injured kidney and reflect a molecular process intimately connected with tissue injury. Here, we provide an overview of the basic pathophysiology, the cellular sources and the clinical performance of the most important currently proposed biomarkers of AKI: neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP), interleukin-18 (IL-18), insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7 (IGFBP7), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP-2) and calprotectin (S100A8/9). We also acknowledge each biomarker's advantages and disadvantages as well as important knowledge gaps and perspectives for future studies.
Related Concept Videos
Acute Kidney Injury II: Pathophysiology
Acute Kidney Injury IV: Diagnostic Studies and Prevention
Acute Kidney Injury I: Introduction
Acute Kidney Injury III: Clinical Manifestations
Acute Kidney Injury V: Interprofessional Care
Blood Studies for Cardiovascular System I: Cardiac Biomarkers
The essential diagnostic tools for detecting myocardial necrosis and monitoring individuals suspected of having acute coronary syndrome (ACS) include:
Troponins
Troponins, particularly cardiac troponins I and T, are the most precise and sensitive markers of myocardial injury. They are detectable within 4-6 hours of myocardial injury and remain...

