Biomarkers of Infection and Inflammation

Abstract

Biomarkers, or biological markers, have been tested in the clinical laboratory for decades. More recently, there has been a surge in research studies aimed at identifying biomarkers of infection and inflammation. One of the foremost motivators in this expansion of research is the quest to find ideal biomarkers for sepsis. Traditional, yet still relevant, laboratory markers of infection and inflammation consist of the white blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and Creactive protein. Newer biomarkers that are currently available in the clinical laboratory and used for the evaluation of sepsis include lactate and procalcitonin, while two promising emergent biomarkers for the evaluation of sepsis, pentraxin 3 and presepsin, are presented. Beyond sepsis, promising emergent biomarkers for chronic wound infections, pneumonia, and invasive fungal infections are also discussed.