LCN2 and Nephropathy: Several molecules, such as urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) [4,5,6,7,8], interleukin (IL)-18 [9,10,11] and L-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) [12,13,14,15], have been identified as potential markers for the early detection of kidney damage, before serum creatinine increases.