In the last years the number of diseases accompanied with elevated levels of secreted phospholipases A₂ (sPLA₂) enormously increased. New evidences for the implication of these enzymes in pathological processes constantly appear in the current literature. The reason is that sPLA₂s are involved in many biological events which lead to undesired disorders. The purpose of this review is to describe the pivotal role of sPLA₂s in pathophysiological processes and the possibilities to use the increased phospholipolytic activity as a novel biomarker for a number of diseases.