Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining the presence of renal damage in an individual and also to a method for detecting one or several proteins selected from the list comprising Reg3B, fetuin B, Ras-related GTP-binding protein A serine protease inhibitor A3L, subunit 1 of COP9, gamma subunit of ATP synthase, gelsolin, ribonuclease UK114, aminoacylase 1A, alpha-enolase, keratin 5, parvalbumin alpha, ribonuclease 4 or serine protease inhibitor A3K. The renal damage may be acute renal failure. Said renal pathologies may be caused by the administration of a nephrotoxic agent, wherein the nephrotoxic agent may be an aminoglycoside antibiotic such as gentamicin, or cisplatin. The invention also provides means to differentiate the renal damage or renal failure induced by gentamicin from that induced by cisplatin, through the biochemical analysis of the urinary level of Reg3B and/or gelsolin, or fragments thereof.