Biomarker
studies are becoming increasingly interesting for many fields of medicine. The
use of biomarkers in medicine is involved in detecting diseases and supporting
diagnosis and treatment decisions. New research and new discoveries on the molecular
basis of the disease show that there may be a number of promising new biomarkers
for use in daily clinical practice. Clinical trials in children lag behind
adult research both in quality and quantity. The number of biomarkers validated
to optimize pediatric patient management is limited. In the pathogenesis of
many diseases, it should not be extrapolated to the pediatric clinical setting,
taking into account that biomarkers that are effective in adults are clearly
different in children and that ontogeny directly affects disease development
and therapeutic response in children. The search for ideal biomarkers or
markers that can make an early and definitive diagnosis in neonatal sepsis is
still ongoing. The ideal biomarker for pediatric diseases should be
costeffective, noninvasive, applicable to pediatric specific diseases, and its
results should correspond to age-related physiological changes. Lactate,
troponin and B-type natriuretic peptide are valuable biomarkers in the
evaluation and management of critically ill children with cardiac disease.
Tumor markers in children are biochemical substances used in the clinical
treatment of pediatric tumors and to detect the presence of cancer (regression
or progression). In this chapter, current and brief information about biomarkers
and their clinical applications used in the diagnosis and monitoring of pediatric
diseases is presented.
Keywords: Biomarker, Early predictor, Management, Monitoring, Premature, Tumor markers.
