Values of serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and cystatin C after percutaneous coronary intervention for early diagnosis of contrast-induced nephropathy.

Objective: Serum creatinine (SCr) is not a sensitive and reliable index for the early diagnosis of acute kidney injury caused by contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). The aim of this study was to explore the values of serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and cystatin C (Cys-C) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for the early diagnosis of CIN.

Methods: Three hundred patients receiving PCI from January 2018 to December 2020 were assigned to a CIN group (n=25) and a non-CIN group (n=275), respectively. SCr, Cys-C and NGAL levels were measured, and their sensitivities for early CIN diagnosis were evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) values.

Results: The NGAL and Cys-C levels of the CIN group began to rise 6 and 12 h after operation, respectively (P<0.05). The CIN group had higher NGAL and Cys-C levels than those of the non-CIN group 12, 24 and 48 h after operation (P<0.05). The AUC values of NGAL, Cys-C and SCr 24 h after operation were 0.885, 0.874 and 0.856, respectively.

Conclusion: The serum NGAL and Cys-C levels of patients after PCI reflect the early changes of renal function, which are valuable for early CIN diagnosis.