New Biomarker Could Improve ARDS, AHF Diagnosis

sST2: Can this new biomarker help differente acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and acute heart failure (AHF), allowing earlier detection of each and enhancing treatment?

A cohort study of sST2 in ICU patients measured plasma levels of sST2 in patients originally diagnosed with AHF. Higher levels of sST2 were linked to more morbidity, worse outcome in ARDS, suggesting discriminatory value of the biomarker.

AUC in ROC analysis suggests good discrimination between ARDS and AFH, with sensitivity of 83% and  specificity of 88%; similar results found in validation cohort.

Study authors note that further study with point-of-care measures is needed to determine whether sST2 is clinically useful for diagnosis of ARDS.

Soluble suppressor of tumorigenicity-2, an interleukin, is a biomarker of myocardial strain and inflammation that may support prognosis and diagnosis of ARDS.