ALB and infection: Furthermore, the lowest NGAL tertile exhibited OR of 7.1 [1.6–29.8, P<0.01, n = 73] for marked reduction in serum albumin levels in a year, and OR of 2.9 [0.6–13.9, P = 0.22, n = 73] for development of severe infection requiring admission within a year, as compared to the middle and highest NGAL tertiles.