Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Pediatrics

More than 60% of children with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) develop lupus nephritis (LN). Neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a protein secreted by leukocytes during inflammation and is overexpressed in the kidneys following ischemic and nephrotoxic damage. To evaluate the role of urinary neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin-2 as a biomarker of renal involvement in SLE patients. Urinary levels of NGAL were assessed in 50 children with active SLE (25 with and 25 without LN) and compared to 25 matched controls. Children with SLE had elevated urinary NGAL (±295.8 ng / ml) as compared to controls (±124.4 ng / ml) (P < 0.001). Levels of urinary NGAL were higher in patients with LN (±822.8ng / ml) than those without LN (±295.8 ng / ml) (P < 0.001). In patients with LN, urinary levels of NGAL were correlated with the quantitative and qualitative measures of proteinuria (P < 0.001). Urinary NGAL was not significantly correlated with the histopathological classification by renal biopsy (P < 0.292). Urinary NGAL is a sensitive marker of proliferative nephritis in juvenile SLE

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