Stability of pro- and anti-inflammatory immune biomarkers for human cohort studies

Background Although discovery research has identified the importance of dozens of pro- and anti-inflammatory immune mediators in the pathogenesis, maintenance, exacerbation and resolution of inflammatory diseases, most human cohort studies have incorporated few or no immunological intermediate phenotypes in their analyses. Significant hindrances have been (1) the limited panel of biomarkers known to be readily detected in healthy human populations and (2) the stability, hence utility, of such biomarkers to repeated analysis.