Novel Biomarkers for Early Detection of Acute Kidney Injury and Prediction of Long-Term Kidney Function Decline after Partial Nephrectomy

Background: Identifying acute kidney injury (AKI) within few hours of onset is certainly helpful. However, early prediction of a long-term eGFR decline may be an even more important goal. Our aim was to identify and compare serum [creatinine, kineticGFR, cystatin C, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL)] and urinary (NephroCheck, NGAL, proteinuria, albuminuria, acantocytes at urinary sediment) predictors of AKI that might efficiently predict long-term GFR decline after robotic Nephron-Spearing Surgery (rNSS). Methods: Monocentric prospective observational study. Patients scheduled for rNSS for suspected localized Renal Cell Carcinoma from May 2017 to October 2017 were enrolled. Samples were collected preoperatively and postoperatively (timepoints: 4 h, 10 h, 24 h, 48 h), while kidney function was re-assessed up to 24 months. Results: 38 patients were included; 16 (42%) developed clinical AKI. The eGFR decline at 24 months was more pronounced after postoperative AKI (−20.75 vs. −7.20, p < 0.0001). KineticGFR at 4 h (p = 0.008) and NephroCheck at 10 h (p = 0.001) were, at multivariable linear regression analysis, efficient predictors of post-operative AKI and long-term eGFR decline if compared to creatinine (R2 0.33 vs. 0.04). Conclusions: NephroCheck and kineticGFR have emerged as promising noninvasive, accurate, and early biomarkers of postoperative AKI and long-term GFR decline after rNSS. Combining NephroCheck and kineticGFR in clinical practice would allow to identify high risk of postoperative AKI and long-term GFR decline as early as 10 h after surgery.