 order to address their health problems arising from toluene abuse effectively.

This work was partially supported by the by the Agency of the Slovak Ministry of Education for the Structural Funds of the EU \[ITMS: 26220120058 (30 %)\] and was funded within the framework of the project VEGA 1/0115/14 (70%).


Introduction {#Sec1}
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Open and endovascular repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAAs) is associated with a high risk of complications such as acute kidney injury^[@CR1],[@CR2]^. Moreover, postoperative AKI is related to increased mortality rates after open, endovascular and emergency aortic aneurysm repair^[@CR3]--[@CR6]^.

In daily clinical routine, AKI detection is based on urine volume and serum creatinine levels. With renal function limitation of more than 50%, increased serum creatinine is detectable, which may be associated with oliguria or polyuria, yet these levels are not specific for impaired renal function^[@CR2],[@CR7],[@CR8]^. Early biomarkers for AKI detection in fields of cardiovascular surgery are not clinically established, and a late diagnosis resulting in delayed treatment may be a consequence^[@CR9]--[@CR11]^. Hence, a biomarker facilitating early diagnosis of AKI after TAAA repair would be useful in facilitating early therapeutic intervention and guiding pharmaceutical treatment^[@CR12]^.

NGAL, a 25 kDa protein that binds covalently to neutrophil gelatinase, has been reported as a potential marker of angiogenesis and in particular as an early marker of AKI after cardiac and abdominal aortic surgery^[@CR13]--[@CR16]^. Levels of NGAL may be influenced by different factors such as systemic infection and inflammation^[@CR17]^. Elevated levels have been identified after impairment of kidney function, and NGAL seems to have a protective effect on cells that may be related to its ability to scavenge iron and to induce cell growth^[@CR18]--[@CR20]^. In murine models, NGAL is the most rapidly induced protein of nephrotoxic and ischemic AKI and is detectable 3 h followi