Abstract: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a kidney disease characterized by sudden loss of GFR with high morbidity and mortality in intensive critical unit (ICU). There is increasing evidence indicates that incomplete repair after AKI can lead to the development and progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Hypoxia is an important pathogenic factor in both acute and chronic kidney diseases. Hypoxiainducible factor (HIF) is the main transcriptional regulator responsible for hypoxiagene expression and plays an important role in occurrence and development of  AKI and CKD. Then activated HIF induces adaptive changes of kidney tissue. However,the pathologic role of HIF in renal injury and repair is controversial. In this review,we discuss the effect of HIF in  development and repair of AKI from the different causes of AKI.

Key words: hypoxia-inducible factor, acute renal injury, chronic kidney disease