Clinical Significance

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipid transport protein (NGAL), a type of lipocalin, was originally identified as a small molecular weight secretory protein in activated neutrophils, and modern studies have shown that NGAL is one of the most effective biological markers for the diagnosis of acute kidney injury and one of the effective markers for early diabetic nephropathy.
    NGAL has potent functions that are associated with inflammation, embryonic development, immune response, chemotaxis, signal transduction, and a variety of tumorigenic and developmental processes, in addition to its function as a member of the apolipid family that binds and transports hydrophobic small molecules.
    NGAL is anti-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory, promotes differentiation of renal progenitor cells to early tubular epithelial cells, repairs N-calmucin, upregulates the protective enzyme heme oxygenase and inhibits cell death.