Clinical utility of biomarkers of endothelial activation in sepsis - a systematic review

Sepsis is a complex syndrome that results from a host’s response to invasive infection 2] and severe sepsis with organ dysfunction and septic shock are leading causes of death in critically ill patients.[3] A tool that would predict prognosis or allow risk-stratification of patients is needed to inform healthcare providers, families and decision makers, and facilitate the study and implementation of evolving therapeutic interventions.A biomarker is defined as “…a characteristic that is objectively measured as an indicator of normal biological processes, pathogenic processes or pharmacologic responses to therapeutic intervention".[4] Despite the proposal of over 100 distinct biological molecules as biomarkers for sepsis, no useful single biomarker, or combination thereof, has yet been identified.[5]
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