Aortitis can be the manifestation of an underlying infectious or
noninfectious disease process. An autoimmune cause is suggested in a large proportion of noninfectious causes. Similar to other
autoimmune diseases, the pathophysiology of
aortitis has been investigated in detail, but the etiology remains unknown. Most cases of
aortitis often go undetected for a long time and are often identified at late stages of the disease. Recent advances in imaging techniques have significantly improved the diagnosis of
aortitis. However, significant challenges associated with the imaging techniques limit their use. Several routine
inflammation-based markers, such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR),
C-reactive protein (CRP), and inflammatory
cytokines, are nonspecific and, therefore, have limited use in the diagnosis of
aortitis. The search for more specific serum
biomarkers, which can facilitate detection and progression is under progress. Several
autoantibodies have been identified, but assigning their role in the pathogenesis as well as their specificity remains a challenge. The current review addresses some of these issues in detail. KEY MESSAGES: • Noninfectious
aortitis is an
autoimmune disease. • Several
biomarkers, including
cytokines and
autoantibodies, are increased in
aortitis. • Imaging techniques, commonly used to detect
aortitis, are associated with the high cost and technical challenges. • There is a need to develop low-cost
biomarker-based detection tools. • The knowledge of
biomarkers in
aortitis detection is discussed.