Hamburg Acute Renal Injury Study

The Hamburg Acute Renal Injury Study (HARIS) is a prospective observational cohort study that includes hospitalized adults (≥18 years) at the time of acute kidney injury (AKI). Potential participants are identified during hospital care, and a structured IT-supported clinical screening system helps detect AKI cases in real time. In parallel, a control group of hospitalized adults with acute illness who have not developed AKI is enrolled to enable comparative analyses of specific risk factors, pathophysiology, and outcomes. All participants undergo a standardized clinical assessment of kidney function, comorbidities, hemodynamic status, medication exposure, procedures, and laboratory parameters. The study includes serial collection of clinical data and biosamples (blood and urine) at study inclusion, during hospitalization, and at 3-month after discharge. All biospecimens are processed within a harmonized pipeline and stored in the Hamburg and European Renal Omics-Biobank (HERO). Beyond the identification of clinical determinants of AKI trajectories, the central objective of HARIS is to identify biological pathways of sustained kidney injury and repair, improve risk stratification, evaluated prognostic biomarkers, and support the development of precision medicine approaches in post AKI care. Long-term outcomes including progressive chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular events, hospital readmissions, and mortality are collected through annual structured follow-ups. No experimental interventions are performed and all clinical management follows standard of care.