Biomarkers4Pediatrics - International Multicohort Pediatric Biomarker Collaboration
Biomarkers4Pediatrics is an initiative that brings together international population-based studies in children and adolescent populations with biomarkers and anthropometric and physiological measurements collected. By pooling data from various pediatric populations across the world, we aim to address research questions advancing primary prevention and clinical decision making in global pediatric health.
Our initial use case is to develop a global definition of pediatric metabolic syndrome. Further use cases are planned (see "Use cases" below).
Contact
To contact the Biomarkers4Pediatrics team, please email biomarkers4peds(at)leibniz-bips.de. We are open for new studies.
About Biomarkers4Pediatrics
Biomarkers4Pediatrics aim to establish a large, globally collaborating network on pediatric biomarkers. The initiative led by the Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS has been supported by leading researchers in pediatric health. Several renown international child and adolescent studies have already joined (see “Studies & data” below). Taking advantage of increased statistical power and variations across age groups, geographical regions and socio-cultural backgrounds, we aim at conducting pooled data analyses on a global scale and provide age-, sex- and ethnic-specific reference curves for metabolic biomarkers as the first use case to facilitate the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome in early life.
Objectives:
- Harmonize and pool data from population-based studies in children and adolescent populations (aged 0-18 years) with relevant biomarkers as well as anthropometric and physiological measurements.
- Perform joint analyses on research questions in pediatric health using pooled harmonized datasets.
Use Cases:
- Development of a global definition for the pediatric metabolic syndrome
- C-reactive protein reference curves from infancy to young adulthood
- Reference standards for sarcopenia in children
The Team
Prof Dr Iris Pigeot, Scientific Director & Head Department of Biometry and Data Management
Prof Dr Wolfgang Ahrens, Head Department of Epidemiological Methods and Etiological Research
Prof Dr Sørge Kelm, Department of Biology and Chemistry, University Bremen, Germany.
Prof Ruan Kruger, Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, South Africa.
Prof Luis A. Moreno Aznar, University of Zaragoza, Spain.
Prof Roya Kelishadi, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
Prof Yousef Khader, Jordan University of Science & Technology, Jordan.
Dr Robinson Ramírez-Vélez, Universidad Pública de Navarra, Colombia.
Prof Tanja Vrijkotte, Amsterdam UMC, Netherlands.
Dr Dalia Haroun, Zayed University, United Arab Emirates.
Luana Barros
Studies & Data
| Number of studies/cohorts | Number of countries | Sample size | |
| Included | 20 | 25 | 299,223 |
| Pooled and integrated | 16 | 24 | 298,050 |
| At least one blood biomarker available | 15 | 23 | 164,941 |
| Africa | |
| ZUTAS - Zanzibar Nutrition and Health Survey (2013 & 2021) [Tanzania] | |
| Asia | |
| CASPIAN - Childhood and Adolescence Surveillance and Prevention of Adult Non-Communicable Disease [Iran] | |
| CHNS - China Health and Nutrition Survey [China] | |
| KNHANES - Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey [South Korea] | |
| MetS-JCA - Metabolic Syndrome and Its Individual Components among Jordanian Children and Adolescents [Jordan] | |
| MSAD - Metabolic syndrome among adolescents in Dubai [United Arab Emirates] | |
| Europe | |
| ABCD - Amsterdam Born Children and their Development [Netherlands] | |
| ALSPAC - Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children [United Kingdom] | |
| DEGS - German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Adults [Germany] | |
| HELENA - Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence [Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Sweden] | |
| IDEFICS/I.Family - Identification and prevention of Dietary- and lifestyle-induced health Effects in Children and Infants cohort study [Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Spain and Sweden] | |
| KIGGS - German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (Baseline, Wave 2) [Germany] | |
| North America | |
| NHANES - United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey [United States] | |
| Oceania | |
| LSAC - Growing up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children [Australia] | |
| South America | |
| FUPRECOL - Association for muscular strength with early manifestation of cardiovascular disease risk factors among Colombian children and adolescents study [Colombia] |
Key Documents
Factsheet
Data Use Agreement (incl. authorship policy)
Data Collection Sheet
Publications
- Ploegstra M-J, Swenne A, Buck C, Moreno LA, Lissner L, Lauria F, De Henauw S, Molnár D, Tornaritis M, Konstabel K, Rayson M, Pitsiladis Y, Manios Y, Beghin L, Widhalm K, Polito A, Sinningen K, Kafatos A, Gomez-Martinez S, González-Gross M, Casajús JA, Mazur A, Ortega FB, Ahrens W, Bergerm R, Intemann T. Age- and sex-specific reference percentile curves for accelerometry-measured physical activity in healthy European children and adolescents. European Journal of Pediatrics. 2024;184:65. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-024-05902-y
- Intemann T, Dreger S, Wolters M, Hebestreit A, Iqbal K, Aleksandrova K, Ahrens W, Pigeot I, De Henauw S, Kelishadi R, Lauria F, Lissner L, Molnár D, Moreno LA, Tornaritis M, Veidebaum T. Upscaling from African to global initiatives for child growth curves: International multicohort pediatric biomarker collaboration (Biomarkers4Pediatrics) and childhood hypertension consortium of South Africa (CHCSA). World Congress of Epidemiology, 24-27 September 2024, Cape Town, South Africa.
- Intemann T, Dreger S, Wolters M, Hebestreit A, Iqbal K, Aleksandrova K, Ahrens W, Pigeot I, De Henauw S, Kelishadi R, Lauria F, Lissner L, Molnár D, Moreno LA, Tornaritis M, Veidebaum T. Biomarkers4Pediatrics - International multicohort pediatric biomarker collaboration. World Congress of Epidemiology, 24-27 September 2024, Cape Town, South Africa.
Related Publications
- Ahrens W, Moreno LA, Mårild S, Molnár D, Siani A, De Henauw S, Böhmann J, Günther K, Hadjigeorgiou C, Iacoviello L, Lissner L, Veidebaum T, Pohlabeln H, Pigeot I, on behalf of the IDEFICS consortium. Metabolic syndrome in young children: Definitions and results of the IDEFICS study. International Journal of Obesity. 2014;38(S2):S4-S14.https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2014.130
- Ahrens W, Moreno LA, Pigeot I. Filling the gap: International reference values for health care in children. International Journal of Obesity. 2014;38(S2):S2-S3.
https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2014.129 - Chiarelli F & Mohn A. Early diagnosis of metabolic syndrome in children. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health. 2017;1(2):86-88. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(17)30043-3