Neutrophil Gelatinase-associated Lipocalin and Interleukin-8 as a Predictor of Graft Dysfunction in Live-donor Renal Transplant Recipients
Abstract
Introduction: Early identification of renal graft dysfunction is vital for optimizing posttransplant outcomes, as traditional markers like serum creatinine increase only after significant renal injury. This study investigated the potential of serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (sNGAL) and interleukin-8 (sIL-8) as early indicators of graft dysfunction in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). Material and Methods: An observational study was conducted on 28 KTRs, including 14 with normal graft function and 14 with early graft dysfunction. Serum samples were collected pretransplant and at 10 and 20 h posttransplantation. Levels of sNGAL and sIL-8 were quantified using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to determine diagnostic accuracy, and statistical analyses were carried out using SPSS v30.0.0. Results: At 10 h posttransplant, sNGAL levels were significantly higher in dysfunctional KTRs (161.92 vs. 93.99 ng/ml; P = 0.02) with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.7455. In nondysfunctional KTRs, sNGAL levels declined significantly after transplantation, whereas in dysfunctional KTRs, the decline was slower and less pronounced. Serum IL-8 levels showed a marked rise in dysfunctional KTRs at 10 h (494 vs. 254 pg/ml; P = 0.004), demonstrating superior diagnostic performance (AUC = 0.8214). Serum creatinine showed significant differentiation only at 20 h posttransplant (AUC = 0.7266), suggesting that both sNGAL and sIL-8 identify graft dysfunction earlier than creatinine. Conclusion: Both sNGAL and IL-8 serve as early indicators of renal graft injury, preceding changes in serum creatinine. Future multicentric studies incorporating urinary biomarkers and artificial intelligence-based analysis could further enhance predictive accuracy and clinical applicability.
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BibTeX
@article{kumar2026neutrophil,
title = {{Neutrophil Gelatinase-associated Lipocalin and Interleukin-8 as a Predictor of Graft Dysfunction in Live-donor Renal Transplant Recipients}},
author = {Mahendra Kumar and Aravind Sekar and Lekha Rani and Deepesh B. Kenwar and Raja Ramachandran and Biman Saikia and Harbir Singh Kohli and Ranjana Walker Minz},
journal = {Indian Journal of Transplantation},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.4103/ijot.ijot_5_26},
url = {https://doi.org/10.4103/ijot.ijot_5_26},
note = {CC BY-NC-SA},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Neutrophil Gelatinase-associated Lipocalin and Interleukin-8 as a Predictor of Graft Dysfunction in Live-donor Renal Transplant Recipients
AU - Mahendra Kumar
AU - Aravind Sekar
AU - Lekha Rani
AU - Deepesh B. Kenwar
AU - Raja Ramachandran
AU - Biman Saikia
AU - Harbir Singh Kohli
AU - Ranjana Walker Minz
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - Indian Journal of Transplantation
DO - 10.4103/ijot.ijot_5_26
UR - https://doi.org/10.4103/ijot.ijot_5_26
AB - Introduction: Early identification of renal graft dysfunction is vital for optimizing posttransplant outcomes, as traditional markers like serum creatinine increase only after significant renal injury. This study investigated the potential of serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (sNGAL) and interleukin-8 (sIL-8) as early indicators of graft dysfunction in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). Material and Methods: An observational study was conducted on 28 KTRs, including 14 with normal graft function and 14 with early graft dysfunction. Serum samples were collected pretransplant and at 10 and 20 h posttransplantation. Levels of sNGAL and sIL-8 were quantified using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to determine diagnostic accuracy, and statistical analyses were carried out using SPSS v30.0.0. Results: At 10 h posttransplant, sNGAL levels were significantly higher in dysfunctional KTRs (161.92 vs. 93.99 ng/ml; P = 0.02) with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.7455. In nondysfunctional KTRs, sNGAL levels declined significantly after transplantation, whereas in dysfunctional KTRs, the decline was slower and less pronounced. Serum IL-8 levels showed a marked rise in dysfunctional KTRs at 10 h (494 vs. 254 pg/ml; P = 0.004), demonstrating superior diagnostic performance (AUC = 0.8214). Serum creatinine showed significant differentiation only at 20 h posttransplant (AUC = 0.7266), suggesting that both sNGAL and sIL-8 identify graft dysfunction earlier than creatinine. Conclusion: Both sNGAL and IL-8 serve as early indicators of renal graft injury, preceding changes in serum creatinine. Future multicentric studies incorporating urinary biomarkers and artificial intelligence-based analysis could further enhance predictive accuracy and clinical applicability.
SN - 2212-0017
SN - 2212-0025
ER -