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Pediatric Autoimmune Diseases: Molecular Basis, Diagnostic and Therapy

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Immunology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 December 2025) | Viewed by 1676

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Paediatrics, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: pediatrics; rheumatology; vasculitis; SLE; immunology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Until recently, our understanding of pediatric autoimmune diseases was limited, creating a significant gap between the complexity of these disorders and our knowledge of their causes. This gap hindered our ability to effectively treat many patients. Treatments typically relied on broad immunosuppressive medications like steroids, which often led to a range of side effects and sometimes provided insufficient relief.

Recognizing the importance of understanding the molecular basis of these diseases, recent years have seen significant progress in this area. This progress has paved the way for the development of targeted therapies tailored to the individual needs of the patient. Precision medicine, including genetic testing and biomarker analysis, shows promise in improving treatment outcomes while minimizing side effects.

The advancements in this field are both exciting and rapid. To encourage further research and innovation, we have initiated this Special Issue. Our goal is to inspire researchers in this dynamic field to share their findings. We hope that this topic will spark interest and lead to the publication of numerous research papers, ultimately advancing our understanding and treatment of pediatric autoimmune diseases.

Prof. Dr. Marija Jelusic
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • autoimmunity
  • immune regulation
  • biomarker analysis
  • molecular pathways
  • precision medicine
  • genetics

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

24 pages, 1612 KB  
Review
Biomarkers in Primary Systemic Vasculitides: Narrative Review
by Mario Sestan, Martina Held and Marija Jelusic
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(2), 730; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27020730 - 11 Jan 2026
Viewed by 1113
Abstract
Vasculitides are a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by inflammation of blood vessel walls, leading to tissue ischemia and organ injury. Traditional inflammatory markers such as the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are widely used but lack diagnostic specificity. This [...] Read more.
Vasculitides are a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by inflammation of blood vessel walls, leading to tissue ischemia and organ injury. Traditional inflammatory markers such as the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are widely used but lack diagnostic specificity. This has driven the search for more informative biomarkers across vasculitis subtypes. This review summarizes current evidence for validated and emerging biomarkers in large-, medium-, small-, and variable-vessel vasculitis, as well as single-organ vasculitis. Key analytes reflect systemic inflammation, such as serum amyloid A (SAA) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), as well as endothelial activation, complement pathways, neutrophil and macrophage activation, and organ-specific damage. Promising candidates include pentraxin-3 (PTX3) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in large-vessel vasculitis; N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and S100 proteins in Kawasaki disease; galactose-deficient immunoglobulin A1 (Gd-IgA1) and urinary angiotensinogen (AGT) in IgA vasculitis; and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1), S100 proteins, complement C3, and PTX3 in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis. Although these biomarkers provide mechanistic insight, most lack disease-specificity, external validation, or standardized assays. Future progress will require multicenter studies, harmonized testing, and integrated biomarker panels combined with imaging modalities to improve diagnosis, activity assessment, and monitoring. Full article
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