الفهرس 
IntroductionOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 158 |  |  |
| | | from | 158 | | |
Abstract
enal dysfunction is a common complication of liver cirrhosis and of utmost clinical and prognostic relevance. Patients with cirrhosis are more prone to developing acute kidney injury (AKI) than the non-cirrhotic population.
As a consequence of systemic and splanchnic arterial vasodilatation and consecutive reduction in effective circulating blood volume, renal perfusion may be critically impaired in patients with advanced cirrhosis and portal hypertension. As a result, patients with cirrhosis are prone to developing renal dysfunction.
Serum creatinine and creatinine-based equations for estimating glomerular filtration rate (GFR) have so far been the only readily available tests to assess kidney function. However, these tests have multiple acknowledged shortcomings and limitations in prediction and diagnosis of acute kidney injury in the cirrhotic liver patients.
Novel biomarkers to assess kidney injury such as neutrophil gelatinase- associated lipocalin (NGAL) has recently become available.
NGAL, a protein synthesized in renal tubular epithelial cells, seems most promising. Following acute tubular injury of various causes, NGAL is released into blood and urine, with elevated levels detected within two hours from the injury. Thus, NGAL