Revisiting the Role of NAG across the Continuum of Kidney Disease

Acute and chronic kidney diseases are an evolving continuum for which reliable biomarkers of early disease are lacking. The potential use of glycosidases, enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism, in kidney disease detection has been under investigation since the 1960s. N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosamin...

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Published in:Bioengineering (Basel) 2023-04, Vol.10 (4), p.444
Main Authors: Novak, Ruder, Salai, Grgur, Hrkac, Stela, Vojtusek, Ivana Kovacevic, Grgurevic, Lovorka
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
acute kidney injury
Bioengineering
biomarker
Biomarkers
Carbohydrate metabolism
Carbohydrates
Chronic illnesses
chronic kidney disease
Congestive heart failure
Creatinine
Diabetes mellitus
Enzymes
Epithelial cells
Epithelium
Filtration
Global health
Glucosaminidase
Glycosidases
Inflammation
Kidney diseases
Metabolism
Molecular modelling
Molecular weight
N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase
NAG
Physiological aspects
Physiology
Proteins
Reabsorption
Renal failure
Review
Urine
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Summary:Acute and chronic kidney diseases are an evolving continuum for which reliable biomarkers of early disease are lacking. The potential use of glycosidases, enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism, in kidney disease detection has been under investigation since the 1960s. N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) is a glycosidase commonly found in proximal tubule epithelial cells (PTECs). Due to its large molecular weight, plasma-soluble NAG cannot pass the glomerular filtration barrier; thus, increased urinary concentration of NAG (uNAG) may suggest injury to the proximal tubule. As the PTECs are the workhorses of the kidney that perform much of the filtration and reabsorption, they are a common starting point in acute and chronic kidney disease. NAG has previously been researched, and it is widely used as a valuable biomarker in both acute and chronic kidney disease, as well as in patients suffering from diabetes mellitus, heart failure, and other chronic diseases leading to kidney failure. Here, we present an overview of the research pertaining to uNAG's biomarker potential across the spectrum of kidney disease, with an additional emphasis on environmental nephrotoxic substance exposure. In spite of a large body of evidence strongly suggesting connections between uNAG levels and multiple kidney pathologies, focused clinical validation tests and knowledge on underlining molecular mechanisms are largely lacking.
ISSN:2306-5354
2306-5354
DOI:10.3390/bioengineering10040444