Recovery from Acute Kidney Injury: The Role of Biomarkers

Establishing the prognosis for recovery has enormous clinical implications. The appropriate definition of renal recovery depends on the stage of acute kidney injury (AKI). As definitions of AKI have broadened to encompass small increases in serum creatinine, definitions of recovery have broadened from becoming dialysis independent to full recovery of baseline glomerular function. Damage and functional biomarkers can assist in the prediction of recovery. Both decreases in damage biomarker concentration and increases in kidney function predict recovery. Structural biomarkers that directly predict recovery are awaited. (C) 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel