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At present, the analysis of transcriptional profile of blood samples is the more efficient and promising approach to study diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, complementing the quantitative information obtained by a simple plasma assay, with the qualitative one of mRNA expression. More novel and available blood collection techniques are being developed reducing problems linked to the invasive bioptic approach. To this purpose, in the last years, methods able to isolate leukocytes from minimal quantity of whole blood have been developed, among these the PAXgene methods offer undeniable advantages. This latter method allows to study the transcriptomic profile of many biomarkers and related pathways involved in different pathologies, until now analyzed only with molecular biology techniques at tissue level, identifying new and more specific therapeutic targets.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic progressive lung disease characterized by interstitial lung fibrosis with involvement of alveoli and terminal bronchiole. Its pathogenesis is still unknown, the risk factors involved in this disease are still unclear and its prognosis highly unfavorable. The main clinical presentations, the major and minor diagnostic criteria, the principal hypothesis on the pathogenesis of IPF and the experimental approaches for induction of the disease mostly in the murine model will be discussed together with current available treatments and ongoing clinical studies on drug therapy.

The cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), based on correction of electro-mechanical dyssynchrony by biventricular pacing in patients with severe chronic HF unresponsive to optimal medical treatment and left ventricular conduction disturbances, has been developed. The determination of plasma adrenomedullin (ADM) levels before implantation could provide important additional information to reduce the high percentage (30%) of patients not responding to treatment despite the use of increasingly sophisticated methods for selecting candidates. The case described illustrates the importance of basal ADM plasma levels in predicting the clinical and functional improvement after treatment with CRT.

The importance of biomarker assay such as cardiac troponins and H-FABP is assuming a pivotal role not only in the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with acute coronary syndromes. Radiofrequency (RF) ablation represents a widely used method for the non pharmacologic treatment of arrhythmias.We report a case of a patient complaining of life-threatening arrhythmias treated by RF in whom temporal changes of cardiac biomarkers was determined after the procedure.