NOS2 and chronic kidney disease: In patients with CKD, the concentrations of these cytokines, as well as elevated pro-inflammatory enzymes, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), appear to be positively controlled by the activation of nuclear-factor kappa-light-chain enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) [73].