Do old urinary biomarkers have a place in the new definition of hepatorenal syndrome in the Egyptian cirrhotic patients? A single-center experience

Abstract

Background: Hepatorenal syndrome is still a diagnosis of exclusion despite new classification. Aims: To validate the accuracy of urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, interleukin-18, and kidney injury molecule-1 in the new diagnostic criteria of hepatorenal syndrome in Egyptian patients with hepatitis C virus-related liver cirrhosis using serum creatinine as a gold standard test for acute kidney injury. Methods: One-hundred twenty cirrhotic patients with ascites were recruited and divided into two groups depending on the presence or absence of renal impairment, and 40 age- and sex-matched cirrhotic patients without ascites used as controls participated in the study. Urinary biomarkers were measured and compared with conventional biomarkers used to assess kidney function (serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate). Results: The mean urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, interleukin-18, and kidney injury molecule-1 were statistically significantly higher in patients with hepatorenal syndrome and were found to be helpful in the early detection with cutoff values of 125 ng/ml, 34.8 pg/ml, and 3.1 pg/ml, respectively. Conclusions: Urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, interleukin-18, and kidney injury molecule-1 levels are higher in patients with cirrhotic ascites complicated by HRS-AKI using the new definition of HRS, but IL-18 has lower sensitivity and specificity for the prediction of HRS-AKI as compared to NGAL and KIM-1.