Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication occurring in cirrhotic patients. The morbidity and mortality rate of patients with cirrhosis of the liver with AKI is increasing at an alarming rate. Current practical biomarker serum creatinine has several limitations and cannot differentiate acute kidney injury AKI. Differentiation of AKI is vital for a good prognosis and helps in therapy. Several promising biomarkers have been identified during the last 10 years and among them, urine Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) appears to be a promising marker for diagnosis of AKI. Recent studies showed that NGAL excels as an early biomarker and helps in the differential diagnosis.

Based on this background knowledge, a study will be prospectively carried out for three years on Liver cirrhosis patients diagnosed with AKI visiting or admitted under the Nephrology and Department of Gastroenterology and hepatology. Patients recruited for the study will be diagnosed with AKI based on the ICA (The international club of ascites) criteria and evaluated to discover its etiology. The urine sample will be collected at the time of admission to evaluate the role of the most promising biomarkers Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in the differential diagnosis of AKI and to see its association with the progression of AKI and the mortality