Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication after cardiac surgery. Currently, prediction of AKI with classical tools remains uncertain. Therefore, it was the aim of the present study to evaluate two new urinary biomarkers—insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7 (IGFBP7) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-2 (TIMP-2) in patients after coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). In a prospective cohort study, 60 consecutive patients undergoing isolated on-pump CABG were enrolled. Urine samples collected every 12 h in the postoperative course were analyzed for the product of TIMP-2 and IGFBP7. Urinary output, serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were recorded simultaneously. Primary clinical endpoint was the development of AKI stage 2 or 3 according to the classification of the KDIGO within 48 h after surgery. 48 male and 12 female patients with a mean age of 69.61 ± 8.4 years were included. 19 patients developed an AKI (31.6 %), six patients met the endpoint with AKI 2 or 3 (10 %). Urinary [TIMP-2]*[IGFBP7] increased significantly as early as 4 h after CABG in patients with AKI 2/3 (1.83 ± 2.15 vs. 0.23 ± 0.45, p < 0.05) whereas serum creatinine did not increase until 48 h after surgery. The diagnostic accuracy of [TIMP 2]*[IGFBP7] on day one after surgery for the prediction of AKI 2/3 was significantly better (sensitivity 0.89, specificity 0.81, AUC 0.817, 95 % CI 0.622–1.0 SE 0.099, p = 0.022, cut-off 0.817) than for serum creatinine (AUC 0.359, sensitivity 0.50, specificity of 0.52, cut-off value 1.17 mg/dl) and eGFR. Urinary [TIMP-2]*[IGFBP7] represents a sensitive and specific biomarker to predict moderate to severe AKI very early after CABG. Analyses from our ongoing larger study are necessary to confirm these findings and probably increase sensitivity and specificity.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) leading to increased mortality and morbidity. Urinary G1 cell cycle arrest proteins TIMP-2 and IGFBP7 have recently been suggested as sensitive biomarkers for early detection of AKI in critically ill patients. However, the precise role of urinary TIMP-2 and IGFBP7 in patients undergoing TAVI is unknown. In a prospective observational trial, 40 patients undergoing TAVI (either transaortic or transapical) were enrolled. Serial measurements of TIMP-2 and IGFBP7 were performed in the early post interventional course. The primary clinical endpoint was the occurrence of AKI stage 2/3 according to the KDIGO classification. Now we show, that ROC analyses of [TIMP-2]*[IGFBP7] on day one after TAVI reveals a sensitivity of 100 % and a specificity of 90 % for predicting AKI 2/3 (AUC 0.971, 95 % CI 0.914-1.0, SE 0.0299, p = 0.001, cut-off 1.03). In contrast, preoperative and postoperative serum creatinine levels as well as glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and perioperative change in GFR did not show any association with the development of AKI. Furthermore, [TIMP-2]*[IGFBP7] remained stable in patients with AKI ≤1, but its levels increased significantly as early as 24 h after TAVI in patients who developed AKI 2/3 in the further course (4.77 ± 3.21 vs. 0.48 ± 0.68, p = 0.022). Mean patients age was 81.2 ± 5.6 years, 16 patients were male (40.0 %). 35 patients underwent transapical and five patients transaortic TAVI. 15 patients (37.5 %) developed any kind of AKI; eight patients (20 %) met the primary endpoint and seven patients required renal replacement therapy (RRT) within 72 h after surgery. Early elevation of urinary cell cycle arrest biomarkers after TAVI is associated with the development of postoperative AKI. [TIMP-2]*[IGFBP7] provides an excellent diagnostic accuracy in the prediction of AKI that is superior to that of serum creatinine.