LCN2 and chronic kidney disease: Serum neutrophil-gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) levels varied substantially between the study groups, with CKD patients showing a median of 453 ng/mL (IQR: 120.5, 854 ng/mL), starkly higher than the control’s 78 ng/mL (IQR: 76, 104 ng/mL).