Researchers from the University of Toronto presented a scientific poster at AACC where eleven heart transplant patients were treated with anti-rejection drug combinations and were monitored with the Urine NGAL assay within twelve hours of administration. The study concluded that following heart transplant procedures Urine NGAL monitoring may be able to assist in the detection of chronic cyclosporine-induced toxicity in the kidneys.
Abbott is developing an assay to measure NGAL (neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin) concentrations in urine for use on the company’s ARCHITECT system. The company has the rights to commercialize Urine NGAL for renal diagnostic applications and is expected to introduce it in Europe in late 2009. The assay is not available in the United States.
Nephrologists and cardiologists are excited about the potential of Urine NGAL to detect the potential for kidney failure following cardio-thoracic surgeries, said Sudarshan Hebbar, M.D., medical director, Abbott Diagnostics.
