title: Serum biomarkers in interstitial lung diseases.
abstract: The use of biomarkers in medicine lies in their ability to detect disease and support diagnostic and therapeutic decisions. New research and novel understanding of the molecular basis of the disease reveals an abundance of exciting new biomarkers who present a promise for use in the everyday clinical practice. The past fifteen years have seen the emergence of numerous clinical applications of several new molecules as biologic markers in the research field relevant to interstitial lung diseases (translational research). The scope of this review is to summarize the current state of knowledge about serum biomarkers in interstitial lung diseases and their potential value as prognostic and diagnostic tools and present some of the future perspectives and challenges.
authors.affiliation: Interstitial Lung Disease Unit, Royal Brompton Hospital, Imperial College, Faculty of Medicine, London, UK. atzouvelekis@yahoo.gr
authors.forename: Argyris
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tzouvelekis
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kouliatsis
authors.forename: Stavros
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Anevlavis
authors.forename: Demosthenes
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bouros
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D037661:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001798:Blood Proteins; D016207:Cytokines; D037661:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins