Essential Elements as Biomarkers of Acute Kidney Injury and Spontaneous Reversion

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is an important health problem and can be caused by number of factors. The use of aminoglycosides, such as gentamicin, is one of these factors. Recently, an effort has been made to find biomarkers to guide treatment protocols. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) was used to estimate the contents of Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, and Zn in serum and urine of the healthy, AKI, and spontaneous recovery (SR) groups of animals. The animal model of AKI and SR was validated by measuring serum and urinary urea and creatinine. The quantitative determination of the elements showed a decrease in serum levels of Ca, and Fe in the AKI group (P<0.01 vs. healthy), with a return to normal levels in the SR group, without a significant difference between the healthy and SR groups. In the urine samples, there was a decrease in P and Na levels in the AKI group (P<0.001 and P<0.01 vs. healthy), but Ca levels were increased in this group compared with the healthy and SR groups (P<0.01). These findings indicate that mineral elements might be useful as biomarkers for AKI.