Description

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) associated nephropathy (HIVAN) is characterized clinically by both nephrosis and by rapidly progressive kidney dysfunction. HIVAN is characterized histologically by both collapsing focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and prominent tubular damage. Neutrophil Gelatinase Associated Lipocalin (NGAL) is known to be rapidly expressed in distal segments of the nephron at the onset of different types of acute kidney injury, but few studies have examined NGAL in chronic kidney disease models. We found that urinary NGAL (uNGAL) was highly expressed by patients with biopsy proven HIVAN, whereas HIV+ patients without HIVAN demonstrated lower levels. uNGAL was also highly expressed in the TgFVB mouse model of HIVAN, which demonstrated NGAL gene expression in dilated, microcystic segments of the nephron. These data show that NGAL is markedly upregulated in the setting of HIVAN, and suggest that uNGAL levels may provide a non-invasive screening test to detect HIVAN related tubular disease.

Publication Title

Urinary NGAL marks cystic disease in HIV-associated nephropathy.

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