Novel biomarkers for acute kidney injury in high-risk pediatric populations: a systematic review.

Authors

Kyle Backston, Benjamin Buehrer, Defne Ezgü, Pranav Sivaram, Shay Tanna, Riddhima Koka, Sidharth Kumar Sethi, Michael Moritz, Rupesh Raina

Published in

Renal failure. Volume 48. Issue 1. Pages 2699019. Epub Jul 14, 2026.

Abstract

Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is currently diagnosed in pediatric patients by measuring rises in serum creatinine. The objective of this systematic review is to determine the diagnostic accuracy of novel biomarkers for early detection or prediction of pediatric AKI across a variety of high-risk pediatric populations. Relevant studies were searched in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases. Observational studies and randomized trials assessing diagnostic biomarkers for AKI in high-risk pediatric populations were included, while studies limited to traditional biomarkers, adult populations, or non-original research were excluded. Risk of bias was assessed using the QUADAS-2 tool. The review was prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD420261293432). Diagnostic accuracy outcomes included AUC, sensitivity, specificity, and other performance measures. 53 total studies were included and grouped into 1 of 5 categories based on the specific population of pediatric patients studied and the general etiology of their AKI. Of note, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, kidney injury molecule-1, and cystatin-C were among the most studied biomarkers and showed significant promise as reliable indicators of kidney injury. The product of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-7, interleukin-18, and others showed some evidence of being predictive, early markers of AKI and warrant additional investigation. The review further discusses the integration of novel biomarkers within existing clinical detection frameworks, including validated risk stratification tools and emerging FDA-approved biomarker assays, to contextualize their translational potential in high-risk pediatric populations. Future advances in precision medicine may lead to earlier diagnosis and better prognosis for pediatric patients suffering from AKI.

PMID:
42448446
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 15 Jul 2026.

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