In contrast, the NGAL levels negatively correlated with ascitic protein, so that cirrhotic patients with a ascitic fluid protein below 15 g/L required antibiotics to prevent SBP.18 Similarly, in another study using a different detection method, the levels of ascitic NGAL in 29 SBP patients were evidently elevated among the 146 liver cirrhosis patients.19 This evidence concerns the gene LCN2 and cirrhosis of liver.