Abstract
Pediatric sepsis is a serious issue globally and is a significant cause of illness and death among infants and children. Refractory septic shock and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome are the primary causes of mortality in children with sepsis. However, there is incomplete understanding of mechanistic insight of sepsis associated organ dysfunction. Biomarkers present during the body’s response to infection-related inflammation can be used for screening, diagnosis, risk stratification/prognostication, and/or guidance in treatment decision-making. Research on biomarkers in children with sepsis can provide information about the risk of poor outcomes and sepsis-related organ dysfunction. This review focuses on clinically used biomarkers associated with immune dysregulation and organ dysfunction in pediatric sepsis, which could be useful for developing precision medicine strategies in pediatric sepsis management in the future.
Impact
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Sepsis is a complex syndrome with diverse clinical presentations, where organ dysfunction is a key factor in morbidity and mortality.
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Early detection of organ complications is vital in sepsis management, and potential biomarkers offer promise for precision medicine in pediatric cases.
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Well-designed studies are needed to identify phase-specific biomarkers and improve outcomes through more precise management.
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Acknowledgements
The authors are deeply indebted to the contributions of senior author—Dr. Chulathida Chomchai, Professor of Pediatrics, Dean, Mahidol University International College. This work was supported by a Research Chair grant from the National Research Council of Thailand (NC), the Distinguished Research Professor grant from the National Research Council of Thailand (SCC), and the Chiang Mai University Center of Excellence Award (NC).
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Theerapon Jariyasakoolroj: conceptualization, data curation, writing - original draft, and writing - review and editing. Nipon Chattipakorn: conceptualization, supervision, data curation, writing - original draft, and writing - review and editing. Siriporn C. Chattipakorn: conceptualization, supervision, data curation, writing - original draft, and writing - review and editing.
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Jariyasakoolroj, T., Chattipakorn, S.C. & Chattipakorn, N. Potential biomarkers used for risk estimation of pediatric sepsis-associated organ dysfunction and immune dysregulation. Pediatr Res 97, 2243–2257 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-024-03289-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-024-03289-y
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