Unveiling Promising Sepsis Biomarkers: a Clinical Perspective

Sepsis is defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. It is characterized by a high incidence, high mortality rate, and poor prognosis. With the increasing consumption of antibiotics and the growing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance, clinicians are in greater need of easily accessible and effective inflammatory markers to monitor the infection process, guide treatment, and assess patient prognosis. Numerous biomarkers have been studied for their potential value in the diagnosis of sepsis, and more than 250 different biomarkers have been proposed. However, many of these biomarkers are more useful for prognostic evaluation than for diagnosis. Biomarkers such as procalcitonin and C-reactive protein have been extensively studied, with procalcitonin being the only sepsis biomarker included in clinical guidelines. It can be used to guide antibiotic use but should not be used as a standalone diagnostic indicator. C-reactive protein has poor sensitivity and specificity for sepsis diagnosis. In recent years, new biomarkers, such as neutrophil extracellular traps, interleukin-6, histones, cell-free DNA and composite indicators, such as the systemic immune inflammation index,have been identified. This article provides a comprehensive review of the diagnostic value of traditional and recently popular novel biomarkers for sepsis.