Clinical use of biomarkers of survival in pulmonary fibrosis

• Published in: Respiratory research Vol. 11; no. 1; p. 89
• Main Authors: Thomeer, Michiel, Grutters, Jan C, Wuyts, Wim A, Willems, Stijn, Demedts, Maurits G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 28-06-2010; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: B cells; Biological markers; Biomarkers - blood; Development and progression; Diagnosis; Diagnostic Imaging - methods; Exercise Test; Humans; Medical imaging equipment; Medical research; Positron emission tomography; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; Pulmonary fibrosis; Pulmonary Fibrosis - blood; Pulmonary Fibrosis - diagnosis; Pulmonary Fibrosis - mortality; Pulmonary Fibrosis - physiopathology; Respiratory Function Tests; Review; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Survival Analysis; Time Factors; Belgium; Netherlands
• ISSN: 1465-993X; 1465-9921; 1465-993X
• DOI: 10.1186/1465-9921-11-89

Biologic predictors or biomarkers of survival in pulmonary fibrosis with a worse prognosis, more specifically in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis would help the clinician in deciding whether or not to treat since treatment carries a potential risk for adverse events. These decisions are made easier if accurate and objective measurements of the patients' clinical status can predict the risk of progression to death.
A literature review is given on different biomarkers of survival in interstitial lung disease, mainly in IPF, since this disease has the worst prognosis.
Serum biomarkers, and markers measured by medical imaging as HRCT, pertechnegas, DTPA en FDG-PET are not ready for clinical use to predict mortality in different forms of ILD. A baseline FVC, a change of FVC of more than 10%, and change in 6MWD are clinically helpful predictors of survival.