title: Distribution of circulating cardiac biomarkers in healthy children: from birth through adulthood.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  While circulating biomarkers are critical tools for cardiovascular adult care, their relevance in childhood is unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated the behavior of plasma concentrations of clinically relevant cardiac biomarkers (NT-proBNP, hs-cTnI, sST2, Galectin-3) in 106 healthy children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subjects were divided into age subgroups: 24 newborns (0-30 days), 26 infants (1-12 months), 30 children (1-12 years) and 26 adolescents (13-18 years). Healthy adults were used as control. NT-proBNP (newborns: 504.3 [211.07-942.7] ng/L, median [25-75 percentiles]; infants: 200.64 [76.88-306.73]; children: 97.27 [49.24-271.80]; adolescents: 24.35 [13.14-58.83]; p < 0.001) and hs-cTnI (newborns: 9.3 [3.3-93.8] ng/L; infants: 13.8 [4.82-72.52]; children: 11.45 [4.0-48.10]; adolescents: 2.6[2.07-3.90]; p < 0.001) were highest in the first month of life, showing a decline in the next years. sST2 and Galectin-3 showed no differences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Changes in hs-cTnI and NT-proBNP suggest the design of age- and sex-based reference intervals that will have to be explored in a larger population.
authors.affiliation: CNR, Institute of Clinical Physiology, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caselli
authors.affiliation: Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosetta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ragusa
authors.affiliation: Fondazione Toscana G. Monasterio, Pisa and Massa, Italy.
authors.forename: Concetta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Prontera
authors.affiliation: CNR, Institute of Clinical Physiology, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cabiati
authors.affiliation: Fondazione Toscana G. Monasterio, Pisa and Massa, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cantinotti
authors.affiliation: U.O. Pediatria Universitaria, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Federico
authors.affiliation: CNR, Institute of Clinical Physiology, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Del Ry
authors.affiliation: CNR, Institute of Clinical Physiology, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Giovanna
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Trivella
authors.affiliation: Fondazione Toscana G. Monasterio, Pisa and Massa, Italy.|U.O. Pediatria Universitaria, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Clerico
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000097:blood / Q000592:standards; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D000072179:Interleukin-1 Receptor-Like 1 Protein / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood / Q000592:standards; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood / Q000592:standards; D012016:Reference Values; D019210:Troponin I / Q000097:blood / Q000592:standards; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D037502:Galectin 3; C079241:IL1RL1 protein, human; D000072179:Interleukin-1 Receptor-Like 1 Protein; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D019210:Troponin I; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain
keywords: Galectin-3; NT-pro BNP; hs cardiac Troponin I; pediatric population; sST2