Early Predictors of Acute Kidney Injury: A Narrative Review

Accompanied with the broad application of interventional therapy, the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) has been recently increasing in clinical renal medicine. The pathogenesis of AKI is diverse and complex. In the context of the requirements for the diagnosis and treatment of a renal disorder, a large number of studies have explored biological markers and their usefulness to the early diagnosis and treatment of AKI, including glomerular injury, renal tubular injury, and others. These biomarkers provide an important basis for early monitoring of AKI, but are still not quite sufficient. More ideal biomarkers are needed to be identified. Therefore, future studies are necessary to explore more effective biomarkers for AKI clinical practice, which would play an important role in the early diagnosis and intervention treatment of AKI. This review summarizes the important biomarkers identified by previous studies and aims to highlight the advancements that might provide new methods for early clinical diagnosis and effective therapeutic options, along with prediction of response to treatment for AKI.