title: [Hormones as biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis].
abstract: Procalcitonin is a biomarker for estimating the likelihood of a bacterial infection. Procalcitonin-guided antibiotic therapy can reduce antibiotic overuse in respiratory tract infections. The differential diagnosis of water-electrolyte imbalances is challenging. Copeptin is co-secreted with arginine vasopressin (AVP) and is a reliable surrogate of plasma AVP. Copeptin may become a useful diagnostic tool in patients with polydipsia-polyuria syndrome and hyponatremia. Copeptin is also known to mirror different levels of stress. It appears to have an interesting potential as a new prognostic biomarker in patients with ischemic stroke. Biomarkers should not be used without the clinical context. They are meant to complement clinical judgment based upon a synthesis of available clinical and laboratory features in each patients.
authors.affiliation: Endokrinologie, Diabetologie und Metabolismus, Universitätsspital Basel.
authors.forename: B F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Winzeler
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Christ-Crain
mesh_terms: D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000097:blood; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006020:Glycopeptides / Q000097:blood; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood; D012372:ROC Curve; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D006020:Glycopeptides; D006728:Hormones; D011498:Protein Precursors; C048197:copeptins; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D006854:Hydrocortisone