SEPSIS BIOMARKERS. PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

Sepsis is the immunological response of systemic inflammation to bacterial, fungal or viral infection. An early diagnosis of sepsis is essential for the successful management of this condition; it allows the prompt administration of appropriate antibiotic regimens and avoidance of unnecessary interventions. A sepsis biomarker must be able to differentiate between bacterial and viral infection, to indicate the severity of infection, to guide the therapy and also must be available in a timely and cost-effective manner. Over the time, different biomarkers have been used for diagnosis of sepsis and monitoring of its treatment. Procalcitonin and C reactive protein are probably the most widely used biochemical parameters for diagnosis and management of patients with sepsis, together with lactate. TNF, IL-1 beta and IL-6 are cytokines that act as mediators of the immunological response to infection and could be potentially useful as biomarkers of sepsis.