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World J Nephrol. Jun 25, 2026; 15(2): 116866
Published online Jun 25, 2026. doi: 10.5527/wjn.v15.i2.116866
Published online Jun 25, 2026. doi: 10.5527/wjn.v15.i2.116866
Alpha-1-microglobulin as an early biomarker in renal extrahepatic manifestations of hepatitis C virus infection
Enas A R Alkareemy, Department of Internal Medicine-Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Assiut University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut 71711, Egypt
Nashwa M Azoz, Ghada S Abdelnaiem, Essam M Abdel Aziz, Department of Internal Medicine-Nephrology, Assiut University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut 71711, Egypt
Rabea A Gadelkareem, Department of Urology, Assiut Urology and Nephrology Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut 71711, Egypt
Kawsar A Saleh, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Assiut University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut 71711, Egypt
Author contributions: Alkareemy EAR, Gadelkareem RA, Saleh KA, and Abdel Aziz EM contributed to literature review, writing, and revision; Alkareemy EAR and Gadelkareem RA supervision of the work; Azoz NM and Abdelnaiem GS designed the research, collected the data, and wrote the paper; Saleh KA and Abdel Aziz EM contributed to statistical analysis. All authors approved the final paper.
Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine of Assiut University (Approval No. 17200739).
Informed consent statement: Written informed consent was obtained from patients for participation in the study.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement-checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement-checklist of items.
Data sharing statement: The data supporting this study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Corresponding author: Rabea A Gadelkareem, MD, Department of Internal Medicine-Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Assiut University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Elgamaa Street, Assiut 71711, Egypt. rabeagad@aun.edu.eg
Received: November 24, 2025
Revised: December 21, 2025
Accepted: February 3, 2026
Published online: June 25, 2026
Processing time: 202 Days and 22.6 Hours
Revised: December 21, 2025
Accepted: February 3, 2026
Published online: June 25, 2026
Processing time: 202 Days and 22.6 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can lead to subclinical renal injury that often progresses unnoticed until chronic kidney disease develops. In this study, urinary alpha-1-microglobulin (Uα1M) proved to be a sensitive, early, and non-invasive biomarker for detecting tubular dysfunction in HCV-infected patients. The rate of elevated Uα1M levels correlated with subtle renal alterations and demonstrated strong diagnostic accuracy, even when traditional renal markers were within normal limits. Routine Uα1M assessment may facilitate early detection and intervention for HCV-related renal involvement, improving long-term renal outcomes.