A study of urinary NGAL levels in 132 cases of decompensated cirrhosis patients by Barreto et al. 10 found that urinary NGAL levels in AKI patients were significantly higher than those in non-AKI patients, NGAL levels with persistent AKI were significantly higher than those with transient AKI, and that it could be used to distinguish hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) from kidney failure due to other causes. This evidence concerns the gene LCN2 and hepatorenal syndrome.