Serum neutrophil gelatinase associated Lipocalin as a novel biomarker for diagnosing acute pyelonephritis in adults

Abstract

Abstract To assess the diagnostic value of serum Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin (NGAL) in adult patients with Acute Pyelonephritis. A total of 132 participants divided into two groups as 66 Hospitalized patients aged ≥ 20 years suspected of having acute pyelonephritis and 66 age and sex matched participants don’t have pyelonephritis. Acute Pyelonephritis was diagnosed in patients with fever, chills or the costovertebral angle tenderness, and bacteriuria higher than 105 CFU/mL without any other focus of infection. No statistically significant differences were observed between the pyelonephritis and non-pyelonephritis groups regarding demographic data or comorbidities. However, the pyelonephritis group exhibited statistically significant differences in Serum NGAL levels, abnormal urine analysis findings, total leukocyte count, and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, with p-values less than 0.001. This study aims to evaluate the potential of Serum NGAL as an early diagnostic biomarker for pyelonephritis, offering a promising tool for timely and accurate diagnosis.