P‐PENK levels >0.36 ng/μL and p‐NGAL levels >230.30 ng/mL were used as critical values to reliably indicate 28‐day mortality for patients with AKI (adjusted hazard ratios 0.785 [95% confidence interval 0.706–0.865, P<0.001] and 0.700 [95% confidence interval 0.611–0.789, P<0.001], respectively). The gene discussed is LCN2; the disease is acute kidney injury.