Molecular markers of kidney injury.

Renal dysfunction is common in urologic patients, especially in those undergoing nephrectomy for renal cancer. Partial nephrectomy better preserves renal function than radical nephrectomy, but is associated with acute kidney injury related to loss of nephrons and ischemic injury. Ischemic injury may not be reliably assessed using common clinical parameters, such as serum creatinine and urine output, which may delay detection of clinically-significant kidney damage. Molecular markers, such as cystatin C, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), IL-18 and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), better quantify the extent of acute ischemic and/or tubular injury than other currently available tools. The use of these and/or other markers may facilitate research to improve outcomes following partial nephrectomy.