Biomarkers in medicine
-
The field of immuno-oncology has witnessed unprecedented success in recent years, with several PD=1 and PD-L1 inhibitors obtaining US FDA registration and breakthrough drug therapy designation in multiple tumor types. Despite its clear efficacy in certain cancers, treatment with these agents carries a risk of immune-related toxicities and substantial financial burden. ⋯ We first examine the role of PD-L1 expression, the most extensively studied predictive biomarker of response, and further discuss emerging putative predictive biomarkers. We also detail challenges faced in the development of response assessments for immunotherapeutics and propose other biomarkers that may be useful as surrogate intermediate end points of response.
-
Biomarkers in medicine · Jan 2017
Admission neutrophil count and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio predict 90-day outcome in intracerebral hemorrhage.
Inflammation plays a role in secondary brain injury after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We aimed to determine the prognostic significance of admission white blood cell (AWC), neutrophil count (ANC), lymphocyte count, monocyte count and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) for 90-day outcome after ICH. ⋯ Elevated levels of AWC, ANC and NLR were independently related to poor 90-day outcome after ICH. NLR may be a novel inflammatory biomarker following ICH.
-
Biomarkers in medicine · Aug 2016
ReviewPlatelet function testing as a biomarker for efficacy of antiplatelet drugs.
Despite the overwhelming evidence in support of the efficacy of dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel, it is also obvious that not all patients benefit from these drugs to the same extent. This interindividual variability in platelet responses may underlie clinical differences in drug efficacy, with potential for optimization of antiplatelet therapy to prevent ischemic events without excessively increasing bleeding risk. This review presents the current evidence regarding platelet function testing for monitoring of antiplatelet therapy, with emphasis on the prognostic value of platelet function testing to predict ischemic and bleeding events. The potential of platelet function testing to provide personalized antiplatelet therapy is also discussed, with an outlook toward the future of platelet function testing in high-risk individuals.
-
Biomarkers in medicine · Jan 2016
Serum endothelial cell specific molecule-1 (endocan) levels in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.
To investigate the level of endothelial cell specific molecule-1 (endocan) in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). ⋯ Serum endocan is significantly higher in OSA. Further studies should be performed to better understand the relationship between endocan and OSA.
-
Biomarkers in medicine · Jan 2015
Developing retinal biomarkers of neurological disease: an analytical perspective.
The inaccessibility of the brain poses a problem for neuroscience. Scientists have traditionally responded by developing biomarkers for brain physiology and disease. ⋯ However, new analytical methods are needed to show whether or not retinal signs really are equivalent to brain abnormalities, since this requires greater evidence than direct associations between retina and brain. We, therefore propose a new way to think about, and test, how clearly one might see the brain through the retinal window, using cerebral malaria as a case study.