Urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin is associated with preeclampsia in a cohort of Turkish women

Acute Kidney Injury in Severe Preeclamptic Patients Admitted to Intensive Care Unit: Epidemiology and Role of Serum Neutrophil Gelatinase-associated Lipocalcin

Background

Patients with preeclampsia admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) may have risk factors for acute kidney injury (AKI). Although the use of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalcin (NGAL) to predict AKI is previously validated, we could locate only scanty data regarding the epidemiology of AKI and role of NGAL in preeclamptic patients admitted to ICU.

Methods

Patients with preeclampsia admitted to our ICU were included. The incidence and severity of AKI during the entire ICU stay were assessed using kidney disease improving global outcomes criteria, while the a priori risk factors and serum NGAL were also evaluated.

Results

A total of 52 preeclamptic patients admitted to ICU were included, among whom the majority had eclampsia (75%). AKI developed in 25 (48.1%) patients with stages 1, 2, and 3 in 56, 36, and 8%, respectively. The incidence of sepsis (16 vs 0%), shock (40 vs 7.4%), and anemia (84 vs 59.3%) was significantly greater in patients with AKI (p < 0.05). ICU mortality (28 vs 3.7%), duration of ICU, and hospital stay were significantly higher in patients who developed AKI (p < 0.05). There was no association of serum NGAL [274 (240–335) ng/mL] with AKI or the mortality (p = 0.725, 0.861); there was, however, a significant discriminatory value for eclampsia [p = 0.019; area under curve = 0.736 (95% confidence interval: 0.569–0.904)].

Conclusions

Although AKI is common among patients with preeclampsia admitted to ICU, serum NGAL does not predict its occurrence.

How to cite this article

Tyagi A, Yadav P, Salhotra R, Das S, Singh PK, Garg D. Acute Kidney Injury in Severe Preeclamptic Patients Admitted to Intensive Care Unit: Epidemiology and Role of Serum Neutrophil Gelatinase-associated Lipocalcin. Indian J Crit Care Med 2021;25(9):1013–1019.

Effect of preeclampsia and its severity on maternal serum NGAL and KIM-1 levels during pregnancy and the post-pregnancy period

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this trial was to appraise the effects of preeclampsia and its intensity on maternal serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) levels during pregnancy and the post-pregnancy period.

STUDY DESIGN

Firstly pregnant participants (n = 156) were separated into three groups, as control, mild, and severe preeclampsia. Secondly women in post-pregnancy period (n = 368) were separated into three groups according to history of pregnancy, as healthy control, mild, and severe preeclampsia. These women were identified through the hospital data system and contacted by telephone to participate in the study.

RESULTS

Our study comprised 147 patients, 77 of whom were pregnant and 70 of whom were in their post-pregnancy period after the exclusion criteria had been applied. In terms of maternal serum NGAL levels, there is a significant increase in the severe preeclampsia group compared with that in the mild preeclampsia and normal pregnancy groups (p < 0.001). During the post-pregnancy period, the maternal serum NGAL levels were found significantly higher in the severe preeclampsia group than in the mild preeclampsia group and non-hypertension control group (p < 0.001). Maternal serum KIM-1 levels were found as significantly higher in the severe and mild preeclampsia groups than in the non-hypertension pregnancy group (p = 0.004). During the post-pregnancy period, maternal serum KIM-1 levels were found as similar among all post pregnant groups (p = 0.792).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicated that as the severity of preeclampsia increases, kidney damage as assessed using NGAL levels continues for a long period of time, even during the post-pregnancy period.

Circulating Neutrophils Do Not Predict Subclinical Coronary Artery Disease in Women with Former Preeclampsia

: Introduction: Preeclampsia (PE) represents a hypertensive pregnancy disorder that is associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. This increased risk has been attributed to accelerated atherosclerosis, with inflammation being a major contributor. Neutrophils play an important role in the onset and progression of atherosclerosis and have been associated with vascular damage in the placenta as well as the chronic inflammatory state in women with PE. We therefore investigated whether circulating neutrophil numbers or reactivity were associated with the presence and severity of subclinical atherosclerosis in women with a history of PE.

METHODS

Women aged 45-60 years with a 10 to 20 years earlier history of early onset preeclampsia (delivery <34 weeks of gestation) (n = 90), but without symptomatic CVD burden were screened for the presence of subclinical coronary artery disease (CAD) using both contrast-enhanced and non-contrast coronary CT angiography. Subclinical CAD was defined as a coronary artery calcium (CAC) score ≥100 Agatston Units and/or ≥50% coronary luminal stenosis. We assessed whether the numbers and activity of circulating neutrophils were associated with the presence of subclinical CAD and as secondary outcome measurements, with the presence of any calcium (CAC score > 0 AU) or stenosis, categorized as absent (0%), minimal to mild (>0 and <50%), and moderate to severe (≥50%) narrowing of the coronary artery. Blood was drawn just before CT and neutrophil numbers were assessed by flow cytometry. In addition, the presence of the chemokine receptors CXCR2 and CXCR4, which are known to be instrumental in neutrophil recruitment, and neutrophil activity upon stimulation with the bacterial peptide N-Formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLF) was assessed by flow cytometry.

RESULTS

Of the participating women, with an average age of 49 years, 13% (12 out of 90) presented with subclinical signs of CAD (CAC score ≥100 AU and/or ≥50% luminal stenosis), and 37% (33 out of 90) had a positive CAC score (>0). Total white blood cell count and neutrophil counts were not associated with the presence of subclinical CAD or with a positive CAC score. When assessing the presence of the chemokine receptors CXCR4 and CXCR2, we observed a slight decrease of neutrophil CXCR2 expression in women with CAC (median MFI 22.0 [interquartile range (IQR) 20.2-23.8]) compared to women without CAC (23.8 [IQR 21.6-25.6], p = 0.02). We observed no differences regarding neutrophil CXCR4 expression. In addition, expression of the early activity marker CD35 was slightly lower on neutrophils of women with subclinical CAD (median MFI 1.6 [IQR 1.5-1.9] compared to 1.9 [IQR 1.7-2.1] in women without CAD, p = 0.02). However, for all findings, statistical significance disappeared after adjustment for multiple testing.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that neutrophil counts and (re)activity are not directly associated with silent CAD disease burden and as such are not suitable as biomarkers to predict the presence of subclinical CAD in a high-risk population of women with a history of preeclampsia.