title: Soluble ST2--analytical considerations.
abstract: Suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (ST2, also known as interleukin [IL]-1 receptor-like-1) is an IL-1 receptor family member with transmembrane (ST2L) and soluble isoforms (sST2). ST2L is a membrane-bound receptor, and IL-33 is the functional ligand for ST2L. sST2, a soluble truncated form of ST2L, is secreted into the circulation and functions as a "decoy" receptor for IL-33, inhibiting IL-33/ST2L signaling. Blood concentrations of sST2 are increased in inflammatory diseases and heart disease and are considered a valuable prognostic marker in both conditions. In multiple clinical trials, sST2 has emerged as a clinically useful prognostic biomarker in patients with cardiac diseases. Interestingly, sST2 even provides prognostic information in low-risk community-based populations. In this review, we will discuss analytical considerations of measuring circulating sST2 including pre-analytical issues, such as in vitro stability of sST2, biological variation of sST2, and postanalytical issues, such as reference ranges and comparisons to diseased cohorts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Konventhospital Barmherzige Brueder, Linz, Austria. Electronic address: thomas.mueller@bs-lab.at.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota.
authors.forename: Allan S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Jaffe
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D000072179:Interleukin-1 Receptor-Like 1 Protein; D011379:Prognosis; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000097:blood*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C079241:IL1RL1 protein, human; D000072179:Interleukin-1 Receptor-Like 1 Protein; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface