Biomarkers and their Clinical Applications in Pediatrics

Abstract

Biomarker studies are becoming increasingly interesting for many fields ofmedicine. The use of biomarkers in medicine is involved in detecting diseases andsupporting diagnosis and treatment decisions. New research and new discoveries on themolecular basis of the disease show that there may be a number of promising newbiomarkers for use in daily clinical practice. Clinical trials in children lag behind adultresearch both in quality and quantity. The number of biomarkers validated to optimizepediatric patient management is limited. In the pathogenesis of many diseases, it shouldnot be extrapolated to the pediatric clinical setting, taking into account that biomarkersthat are effective in adults are clearly different in children and that ontogeny directlyaffects disease development and therapeutic response in children. The search for idealbiomarkers or markers that can make an early and definitive diagnosis in neonatalsepsis is still ongoing. The ideal biomarker for pediatric diseases should be costeffective,noninvasive, applicable to pediatric specific diseases, and its results shouldcorrespond to age-related physiological changes. Lactate, troponin and B-typenatriuretic peptide are valuable biomarkers in the evaluation and management ofcritically ill children with cardiac disease. Tumor markers in children are biochemicalsubstances used in the clinical treatment of pediatric tumors and to detect the presenceof cancer (regression or progression). In this chapter, current and brief informationabout biomarkers and their clinical applications used in the diagnosis and monitoring ofpediatric diseases is presented.