Table 1.
Candidate host biomarkers
| Host biomarker | Summary of supportive data |
| Angiopoietin-1 and 2 (Ang-1 and Ang-2) | Supportive data from Asia/SSA in children/adults, that Ang-2, Ang-1 and/or Ang-2:1 ratio predicts mortality in malaria, SBI and all-cause febrile illness.26 29 46–49 |
| Soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 and 2 (sFlt-1 and s-Flt-2) | Supportive data from SSA that sFlt-1 predicts mortality in paediatric severe malaria and adults with all-cause febrile illness26 29 46; in Thailand sFlt-2 discriminates uncomplicated dengue from dengue associated with plasma leak in children.50 |
| Soluble vascular adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) | Supportive data from SSA that sVCAM-1 predicts mortality in children/adults with all-cause febrile illness.26 29 |
| Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) | Supportive data from Uganda that sICAM-1 predicts mortality in paediatric severe malaria and all-cause febrile illness26 51; in Bangladesh, sICAM-1 predicts mortality in neonatal sepsis.52 |
| Soluble tumour necrosis factor receptor-1 (sTNFR-1) | Supportive data from Tanzania that sTNFR-1 predicts mortality in children/adults with all-cause febrile illness.26 29 |
| Soluble thrombomodulin (sTM) | Supportive data from Malawi that sTM predicts mortality in children with severe malaria.53 |
| C-X-C motif chemokine-10 (CXCL-10)/interferon-y induced protein-10 (IP-10) | Supportive data from Uganda that IP-10 predicts mortality in children with severe malaria.46 |
| Soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (sTREM-1) | Supportive data from SSA that sTREM-1 predicts mortality in paediatric severe malaria and in adults/children with all-cause febrile illness26 29 46 51; in Asia, sTREM-1 predicted length of stay in infant febrile illness and in-hospital mortality in adults hospitalised with infection.54 55 |
| Interleukin-6 (IL-6) | Supportive data from India that IL-6 is predictive of mortality in children with dengue56; in Switzerland, supportive data that IL-6 predicts duration of antibiotic therapy for febrile children with lower respiratory tract infections.57 |
| Interleukin-8 (IL-8) | Supportive data from India that IL-8 is predictive of mortality in children with dengue56; in the UK, supportive data that IL-8 predicts disease severity in children with meningococcal disease.58 |
| Interleukin-10 (IL-10) | Supportive data from India that IL-10 is predictive of mortality in children with dengue.56 |
| Chitinase-3-like protein-1 (CHI3L1) | Supportive evidence from SSA that CHI3L1 is predictive of mortality in children/adults with all-cause febrile illness.26 29 |
| Procalcitonin (PCT) | Supportive evidence that PCT is predictive of severe illness in hospitalised children with suspected bacterial infections or meningococcal disease.59 60 |
| Lactate | Supportive evidence that lactate is predictive of mortality in hospitalised children with febrile illness in East Africa.61 62 |
| Glucose | Supportive evidence that hypoglycaemia is predictive of mortality in hospitalised children in Tanzania.63 |
| Haemoglobin | Supportive evidence that haemoglobin is predictive of mortality in hospitalised children with febrile illnesses in East Africa.62 64 |
| C reactive protein (CRP) | Although there is limited supportive evidence for the use of CRP as a prognostic marker for disease severity, as it is the most widely studied biomarker in our region, and numerous point-of-care tests already exist, further evaluation is warranted. |
List is subject to review as new evidence comes to light during the conduct of the study. SBI = serious bacterial infection; SSA = sub-Saharan Africa.