Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 24, 2026
Expression, Purification, and Antimicrobial Activity of S100A12
Published on: May 13, 2017
Phagocyte-specific calcium-binding S100 proteins as clinical laboratory markers of inflammation
Dirk Foell1, Michael Frosch, Clemens Sorg
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Münster, Münster, Germany. dfoell@uni-muenster.de
Insights
Phagocyte-specific S100 proteins (S100A8, S100A9, S100A12) are pro-inflammatory and useful biomarkers for detecting and monitoring various inflammatory conditions, including arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- S100 proteins are the largest family of calcium-binding proteins.
- Phagocyte-specific S100 proteins (S100A8, S100A9, S100A12) are pro-inflammatory molecules crucial to the innate immune system.
- These proteins are implicated in the pro-inflammatory axis of various inflammatory conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the pro-inflammatory functions of S100 proteins.
- To highlight the utility of S100 proteins as biomarkers for inflammation.
- To discuss their role in monitoring disease activity and treatment response.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on S100 proteins and inflammation.
- Analysis of S100 protein expression and concentration in inflammatory conditions.
- Evaluation of S100 proteins as diagnostic and prognostic markers.
Main Results:
- S100A8, S100A9, and S100A12 are overexpressed at inflammatory sites and found in high concentrations in bodily fluids.
- The S100A8/S100A9 complex and S100A12 are effective diagnostic markers for non-infectious inflammatory diseases like arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.
- These proteins indicate phagocyte activation more sensitively than conventional markers and can detect minimal residual inflammation.
Conclusions:
- Phagocyte-specific S100 proteins are valuable biomarkers for inflammation.
- They offer sensitive detection of disease activity and response to treatment.
- S100 proteins may serve as prospective markers for patient outcomes in inflammatory disorders.
Abstract:
The EF-hand homolog family of S100 proteins comprises the largest group of calcium-binding proteins. Within this S100 family, the phagocyte-specific calcium-binding proteins are pro-inflammatory molecules expressed and secreted by phagocytes, which play a pivotal role within the innate immune system. Although the exact biological functions of these proteins still remain to be defined in greater detail, there is evidence that they are involved in a pro-inflammatory axis associated with various inflammatory conditions. The three members of this group, S100A8, S100A9 and S100A12 are overexpressed at local sites of inflammation. High concentrations are found in synovial fluid, sputum, stool and blood plasma/serum during inflammation. Both the S100A8/S100A9 complex and S100A12 have been proven to be useful as diagnostic markers of inflammation especially in non-infectious inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, chronic inflammatory lung and bowel disease. They indicate phagocyte activation more sensitively than conventional parameters of inflammation. As a consequence, there is a strong correlation to the inflammation of various acute and chronic disorders, making these proteins sensitive parameters for the monitoring of disease activity and response to treatment in individual patients. The phagocyte-specific S100 proteins are able to indicate minimal residual inflammation, which is not detected by other diagnostic tests, and they may even be prospective markers for the outcome of patients. In this review, pro-inflammatory functions of S100 proteins and their usefulness as biomarkers of inflammation are presented.
