Clinical significance of serum procalcitonin levels in patients with acute or chronic liver disease

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic value of serum procalcitonin levels in patients with acute or chronic liver disease, with or without bacterial infections and to correlate the results with the clinical outcome and the laboratory findings for these patients. METHODS: One hundred and six consecutive hospitalized patients with liver disease were evaluated for procalcitonin levels on admission. Fifteen of them (14.2%) had acute alcoholic hepatitis on cirrhotic background (group A), 20 (18.9%) had alcoholic cirrhosis without hepatitis and/or bacterial infection (group B), 16 (15.1%) had decompensated cirrhosis with proved bacterial infection (group C), 42 (39.6%) had uncomplicated viral hepatitis-related cirrhosis (group D) and 13 (12.3%) had acute icteric viral hepatitis (group E). Serum procalcitonin levels were measured using an immunoluminometric assay. Statistical analysis was based on Student's t-test and the non-parametric Kruskall-Wallis test (P<0.05). RESULTS: Serum procalcitonin levels were significantly higher in cirrhotic patients with bacterial infection (9.80+/-16.80 ng/ml) than in those without bacterial infection (0.21+/-0.13 ng/ml, P=0.001), whereas they were within normal range (<0.5 ng/ml) in all patients with uncomplicated cirrhosis, irrespective of the cause of cirrhosis. Seven of 15 group A patients (46.2%) and 4/13 group E patients (30.8%), all of them cirrhotics, had procalcitonin levels higher than 0.5 ng/ml on admission, without established bacterial infection. CONCLUSION: Serum procalcitonin levels remain below the threshold of 0.5 ng/ml in all patients with uncomplicated cirrhosis, irrespective of the cause of the disease, while they are significantly elevated when bacterial infection complicates the course of the disease. A significant proportion of patients with acute alcoholic hepatitis on a cirrhotic background as well as of patients with acute on chronic viral hepatitis, without bacterial infection, exhibit serum procalcitonin levels above 0.5 ng/ml, suggesting that this cut-off value is probably not enough to discriminate between patients with or without bacterial infection within these subgroups of patients with liver disease.     

Acute phase proteins for the diagnosis of bacterial infection and prediction of mortality in acute complications of cirrhosis

Introduction. Bacterial infection is a frequent complication in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis and is related to high mortality rates during follow-up of these individuals. We sought to evaluate the diagnostic value of C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) in diagnosing infection and to investigate the relationship between these biomarkers and mortality after hospital admission.Material and methods. Prospective study that included cirrhotic patients admitted to the hospital due to complications of the disease. The diagnostic accuracy of CRP and PCT for the diagnosis of infection was evaluated by estimating the sensitivity and specificity and by measuring the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC).Results. A total of 64 patients and 81 hospitalizations were analyzed during the study. The mean age was 54.31 ± 11.87 years with male predominance (68.8%). Significantly higher median CRP and PCT levels were observed among infected patients (P < 0.001). The AUROC of CRP and PCT for the diagnosis of infection were 0.835 ± 0.052 and 0.860 ± 0.047, respectively (P = 0.273). CRP levels > 29.5 exhibited sensitivity of 82% and specificity of 81% for the diagnosis of bacterial infection. Similarly, PCT levels > 1.10 showed sensitivity of 67% and specificity of 90%. Significantly higher levels of CRP (P = 0.026) and PCT (P = 0.001) were observed among those who died within three months after admission.Conclusion. CRP and PCT were reliable markers of bacterial infection in subjects admitted due to complications of liver cirrhosis and higher levels of these tests are related to short-term mortality in those patients.     

Undue Elevation of Procalcitonin in Pediatric Paracetamol Intoxication is Not Explained by Liver Cell Injury Alone

Introduction and aim. Procalcitonin is widely used as a biomarker to distinguish bacterial infections from other etiologies of systemic inflammation. Little is known about its value in acute liver injury resulting from intoxication with paracetamol.Material and methods. We performed a single-center retrospective analysis of the procalcitonin level, liver synthesis, liver cell damage and renal function of patients admitted with paracetamol-induced liver injury to a tertiary care children’s hospital. Children with acute liver failure due to other reasons without a bacterial or fungal infection served as the control group. Twelve patients with acute paracetamol intoxication and acute liver injury were compared with 29 patients with acute liver failure.Results. The procalcitonin levels were higher in children with paracetamol intoxication than in patients with acute liver failure without paracetamol intoxication (median 24.8 (0.01-55.57) ng/mL vs. 1.36 (0.1-44.18) ng/mL; p < 0.005), although their liver and kidney functions were better and the liver cell injury was similar in both groups. Outcome analysis showed a trend towards better survival without transplantation in patients with paracetamol intoxication (10/12 vs. 15/29). Within each group, procalcitonin was significantly correlated with alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase but was not correlated with the International Normalized Ratio or paracetamol blood levels in the paracetamol group. In conclusion, paracetamol intoxication leads to a marked increase in procalcitonin serum levels, which are significantly higher than those seen in acute liver failure.Conclusion. The underlying mechanism is neither caused by infection nor fully explained by liver cell death alone and remains to be determined.     

Are presepsin and resistin better markers for bacterial infection in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis?

BackgroundBacterial infections impair prognosis in patients with cirrhosis. Presepsin and, more recently, resistin are promising markers of infection and sepsis in patients without cirrhosis.AimsThe aim of our study was to assess the performance of presepsin and resistin as early markers of infection compared with C reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT), and their prognostic relevance in patients with decompensated cirrhosis.MethodsOne hundred and fourteen consecutive patients with decompensated cirrhosis were enrolled and followed-up for 28 days. Diagnostic performances of CRP, PCT, presepsin and resistin were assessed.ResultsFifty-three (46.5%) patients had bacterial infections of which 30 (56%) had sepsis. Presepsin and resistin had similar performance as CRP and PCT for the diagnosis of infection (best cut-off of 1444 pg/ml and 20 ng/ml, respectively) and sepsis. Presepsin (HR = 5.5; 95%CI: 2.36–13.21, p < 0.0001) and the ≥500 pg/ml increase of presepsin at 48 h (HR = 9.24; 95%CI: 3.66–23.27, p < 0.008) were independently associated with 28-day mortality.ConclusionsPresepsin and resistin have similar diagnostic performances to CRP and PCT for bacterial infection in decompensated cirrhosis. Presepsin and Δ presepsin ≥500 pg/ml have also a prognostic relevance for 28-day mortality.     

Presepsin teardown - pitfalls of biomarkers in the diagnosis and prognosis of bacterial infection in cirrhosis

AIM To evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of presepsin in cirrhosis-associated bacterial infections. METHODS Two hundred and sixteen patients with cirrhosis were enrolled. At admission, the presence of bacterial infections and level of plasma presepsin, serum C-reactive protein(CRP) and procalcitonin(PCT) were evaluated. Patients were followed for three months to assess the possible association between presepsin level and short-term mortality.RESULTS Present 34.7 of patients had bacterial infection. Presepsin levels were significantly higher in patients with infection than without(median, 1002 pg/m L vs 477 pg/m L, P 0.001), increasing with the severity of infection [organ failure(OF): Yes vs No, 2358 pg/m L vs 710 pg/m L, P 0.001]. Diagnostic accuracy of presepsin for severe infections was similar to PCT and superior to CRP(AUC-ROC: 0.85, 0.85 and 0.66, respectively, P = NS for presepsin vs PCT and P 0.01 for presepsin vs CRP). At the optimal cut-off value of presepsin 1206 pg/m L sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values and negative predictive values were as follows: 87.5%, 74.5%, 61.8% and 92.7%. The accuracy of presepsin, however, decreased in advanced stage of the disease or in the presence of renal failure, most probably because of the significantly elevated presepsin levels in non-infected patients. 28-d mortality rate was higher among patients with 1277 pg/m L compared to those with ≤ 1277 pg/m L(46.9% vs 11.6%, P 0.001). In a binary logistic regression analysis, however, only PCT(OR = 1.81, 95%CI: 1.09-3.01, P = 0.022) but neither presepsin nor CRP were independent risk factor for 28-d mortality after adjusting with MELD score and leukocyte count.CONCLUSION Presepsin is a valuable new biomarker for defining severe infections in cirrhosis, proving same efficacy as PCT. However, it is not a useful marker of short-term mortality.     

Evaluation of serum procalcitonin levels for diagnosis of secondary bacterial infections in visceral leishmaniasis patients

Abstract. Secondary bacterial infections are a major complication and cause of death in children with visceral Leishmaniasis (VL). Thus, early diagnosis of bacterial infections is an important step in the treatment of patients with VL. The goal of this study was to determine if serum procalcitonin (PCT) could be used as a diagnostic marker of secondary bacterial infections in VL patients. Serum PCT was measured in 35 hospitalized patients with VL before treatment and after defervescence. The level was higher than normal (> 0.5 ng/mL) in 72% (25) of the patients. Twelve (34%) of 35 patients had secondary bacterial infections with PCT levels ranging from 0.1 to 12.29 ng/mL, and those without secondary bacterial infections (23) had PCT levels ranging from 0.1 to 14.58 ng/mL. The results suggest that PCT levels increase significantly in most VL patients but are not correlated with the presence of secondary bacterial infections.     

Procalcitonin is a valid marker of infection in decompensated cirrhosis

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Bacterial infections are life-threatening complications in cirrhosis and early diagnosis is mandatory. Procalcitonin, a 116 amino acid propeptide of calcitonin, is an early marker of infection. The aim was to evaluate prospectively procalcitonin in the diagnosis of bacterial infection in cirrhosis. 127 patients with liver cirrhosis were analysed and stratified into three groups according bacteriological and morphological findings; decompensated patients with (group I = 36) and without (group II = 64) infection, and 27 non-decompensated and non-infected (group III). METHODS: Diagnosis of infection was made using standard criteria. Serum procalcitonin, tumour necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein were measured using commercially available methods. RESULTS: PCT serum levels were significantly different between group I (2.8 ng/ml [0.4 - 20.4]), group II (0.6 ng/ml [0.1 - 5.9]) and group III (0.4 ng/ml [0.1 - 1.2]), respectively. Levels above 0.58 ng/ml had a sensitivity of 92 % and specificity of 78 % for the diagnosis of infection and were associated with a 50 % mortality in the first two months. Interleukin-6, tumour necrosis factor alpha and C-reactive protein were less sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of infection. CONCLUSION: In decompensated cirrhosis procalcitonin serum levels provided the most sensitive and specific tool for the initial diagnosis of bacterial infection.     

Prevalence and risk factors for bacterial skin infection and mortality in cirrhosis

Background. Bacterial infections are often associated with significant morbidity and mortality in cirrhosis. The common practice of outdoor barefoot walking in the developing world may predispose cirrhotic individuals to skin infection.Aims. To determine the prevalence, risk factors, spectrum of infective organism and outcome of bacterial skin infection in cirrhosis.Methods. Consecutive newly diagnosed patients with cirrhosis (n = 200) between September 2007 and September 2008 were studied. Patients with congestive heart failure (n = 50) and chronic kidney disease (n = 50) on follow up at the same institution served as controls. Baseline demographic details, history of outdoor barefoot walking, details of skin infection along with cultures from skin and blood were obtained. The association between patient factors and risk of skin infection was evaluated using logistic regression.Results. Alcoholism was the predominant etiology for cirrhosis. (50%) Most of them were of Child B cirrhosis. Walking on barefoot was found to be similar in cases and controls. 21(10.5%) patients with cirrhosis had skin infection, three fourth of them had a history of barefoot walking. None of the controls had skin infection. Cellulitis with hemorrhagic bullae, leg ulcers, infected callosity and abscess were observed. The infective organism could be isolated in 17 patients. Escherichia coli was the most frequent organism identified. Logistic regression showed outdoor barefoot walking and serum albumin < 2.5 gm/dL as risk factors for skin infection. Four patients died.Conclusion. The prevalence of skin infection in cirrhosis was 10.5% with a mortality of 19%. Escherichia coli was the commonly implicated organism. Outdoor barefoot walking was a strong risk factor for skin infection in cirrhosis.     

Multidrug-resistant bacterial infections in cirrhotic patients: an epidemiological study

ABSTRACT

Background: The purpose of this study is to describe the epidemiological features of bacterial infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria in cirrhotic patients and their impact on mortality.

Methods: A retrospective study of cirrhotic patients with culture-confirmed bacterial infections was performed between 2011 and 2017.

Results: A total of 635 episodes in 563 patients with cirrhosis were included. Bacterial infections caused by MDR isolates accounted for 44.1% (280/635) of the episodes, nearly half of which were hospital acquired (48.4%). The most common MDR isolation site was the respiratory tract (36.4%, 102 episodes), followed by the abdominal cavity (35.4%, 99 episodes). Of the MDR isolates, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) (91 episodes) were the most common. Patients infected with MDR bacteria had significantly higher mortality than those not infected (25.1% vs 17.4%, p = 0.025). However, this increased mortality could be largely attributed to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). After adjustment for age, sex, and the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, only MRSA infection was an independent risk factor for 28-day mortality in the multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression model analysis (HR, 2.964, 95% CI (1.175–7.478), p = 0.021).

Conclusions: MDR bacterial infections, especially CRE, have become frequent in patients with cirrhosis in recent years, with MRSA infections significantly increasing short-term mortality.     

Diagnostic Accuracy of Procalcitonin for Predicting Blood Culture Results in Patients With Suspected Bloodstream Infection: An Observational Study of 35,343 Consecutive Patients (A STROBE-Compliant Article)

Previous studies have suggested that procalcitonin is a reliable marker for predicting bacteremia. However, these studies have had relatively small sample sizes or focused on a single clinical entity. The primary endpoint of this study was to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of procalcitonin for predicting or excluding clinically relevant pathogen categories in patients with suspected bloodstream infections. The secondary endpoint was to look for organisms significantly associated with internationally validated procalcitonin intervals. We performed a cross-sectional study that included 35,343 consecutive patients who underwent concomitant procalcitonin assays and blood cultures for suspected bloodstream infections. Biochemical and microbiological data were systematically collected in an electronic database and extracted for purposes of this study. Depending on blood culture results, patients were classified into 1 of the 5 following groups: negative blood culture, Gram-positive bacteremia, Gram-negative bacteremia, fungi, and potential contaminants found in blood cultures (PCBCs). The highest procalcitonin concentration was observed in patients with blood cultures growing Gram-negative bacteria (median 2.2 ng/mL [IQR 0.6–12.2]), and the lowest procalcitonin concentration was observed in patients with negative blood cultures (median 0.3 ng/mL [IQR 0.1–1.1]). With optimal thresholds ranging from ≤0.4 to ≤0.75 ng/mL, procalcitonin had a high diagnostic accuracy for excluding all pathogen categories with the following negative predictive values: Gram-negative bacteria (98.9%) (including enterobacteria [99.2%], nonfermenting Gram-negative bacilli [99.7%], and anaerobic bacteria [99.9%]), Gram-positive bacteria (98.4%), and fungi (99.6%). A procalcitonin concentration ≥10 ng/mL was associated with a high risk of Gram-negative (odds ratio 5.98; 95% CI, 5.20–6.88) or Gram-positive (odds ratio 3.64; 95% CI, 3.11–4.26) bacteremia but dramatically reduced the risk of PCBCs or fungemia. In this large real-life setting experience with more than 35,000 patients, procalcitonin was highly effective at excluding bloodstream infections regardless of pathogen categories. The results from our study are limited by its cross-sectional design and deserve to be validated in prospective longitudinal studies.     

Diagnostic accuracy of serum procalcitonin concentrations for detecting systemic bacterial infection in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether serum procalcitonin (PCT) concentrations are useful for distinguishing bacterial infections from disease flares in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases. METHODS: Patients with systemic autoimmune diseases who were admitted to our hospitals due to either a suspected deterioration of their primary diseases or an infectious disease were enrolled. Serum PCT levels were measured in 99 serum samples of 98 patients who had elevated serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels; 29 samples were obtained from patients with bacterial infections, and 70 samples were obtained from patients with disease deterioration without a detectable infection. The diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for identifying a bacterial infection were estimated using the receiver-operating characteristic curve. Multiple logistic regression analysis was also done with PCT level, age, sex, steroid dose, and use of immunosuppressive agents. RESULTS: Serum PCT levels were higher in the bacterial infection group than in the disease flare group (mean +/- SD, 4.539 +/- 9.677 vs 0.116 +/- 0.127; p < 0.0001). The diagnostic accuracy of PCT for bacterial infection was 0.797, sensitivity 53.3%, and specificity 97.1%. On multivariate analysis, the odds ratio of a PCT > or = 0.5 ng/ml was significant (OR 59.085, 95% CI 7.705 453.088, p < 0.0001) for identifying bacterial infection. CONCLUSION: Elevated serum PCT levels have a good specificity for diagnosing bacterial infection in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases regardless of their dosage of oral corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents.     

The impact of bacterial infections on survival of patients with decompensated cirrhosis

Introduction. Bacterial infection in cirrhotic patients is a severe complication that requires early recognition and specific therapeutic care.Material and methods. In this review the various aspects of diagnosis and management of infections that may impact survival in cirrhosis are analyzed.Results. Active search for infections allows early detection and its treatment with suitable antibiotics has reduced mortality rates in spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, the main infection in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Other common infections, such as bacteremia and septicemia or urinary tract, lung, skin and soft tissue infections must be thoroughly investigated so that antibiotic treatment can be started early. As intestinal bacterial translocation is one of the most important mechanisms for development of bacterial infections, selective intestinal decontamination is able to prevent these infections in populations at risk. After the first episode of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, poorly absorbed oral antibiotics, such as quinolones, must be started and continued. Moreover, when there is upper gastrointestinal bleeding, infection prevention should be based on oral administration of quinolones or intravenous administration of cephalosporins, both for seven days, to avoid morbidity and early lethality. With the advent of resistance to commonly used antibiotics and recent reports of multiresistant bacteria, there is a need for stricter control when administering antibiotics to cirrhotic patients.Conclusion. Existing knowledge of therapy and prophylaxis for bacterial infections in cirrhotic patients, which undoubtedly improve survival, should be disseminated and applied in clinical practice for the benefit of the population at large.     

Assessment of procalcitonin as a diagnostic marker of underlying infection in patients with febrile neutropenia.

The novel inflammatory marker procalcitonin (PCT) was assessed as an index of infection in patients with febrile neutropenia. Blood samples were obtained from 115 patients with febrile neutropenia for determination of PCT levels before onset of fever and daily until the resolution of fever. The median PCT level on the first day of fever was 8.23 ng/mL in patients with bacteremia, compared with 0.86 ng/mL in patients with localized bacterial infections (P=.017). The median PCT level on the first day of fever was 2.62 ng/mL in patients with severe sepsis, compared with 0.57 ng/mL in patients with clinically localized infections (P<.001). A dramatic decrease in PCT levels was documented after resolution of the infection; PCT levels were elevated when the infection worsened. Pronounced PCT levels were also found in patients with fever of unknown origin who were responding to antimicrobial chemotherapy, compared with those not responding to treatment with antibiotics. PCT levels were particularly elevated in patients with bacteremia and severe sepsis. These findings provide new insight into the application of PCT in clinical trials as a diagnostic tool of the severity of an infection in patients with febrile neutropenia and of the need to change antimicrobial regimen.     

血浆降钙素原测定在肝硬化伴自发性细菌性腹膜炎患者中的临床应用

目的　探讨血浆降钙素原 (procalcitonin ,PCT)对肝硬化伴自发性细菌性腹膜炎 (spontaneousbacterialperitonitis ,SBP)的诊断价值及与临床病程和预后的关系。方法　采用金标层析法测定 112例肝硬化腹水患者 (单纯腹水 5 1例 ,合并SBP 6 1例 )血浆PCT水平。结果　肝硬化腹水患者血浆PCT水平均显著高于正常 ,以 10ng/mL为阳性判断值时 ,SBP组阳性检出率显著高于无SBP组(P <0 0 0 1) ,且与培养是否阳性无关。最初三天血浆PCT水平变化与临床结局密切相关。结论　血浆PCT测定对肝硬化伴SBP的早期快速诊断及预后判断等有重要价值。     

Incidence,risk factors and clinical outcomes of multidrug-resistant microorganism infections among patients admitted for decompensated cirrhosis: A prospective study

BackgroundBacterial infections remain one of the main complications in cirrhosis and worsen patients’ prognosis and quality of life. An increase in multidrug resistant microorganism (MDRM) infections among patients with cirrhosis, together with infection-related mortality rates, have been reported in recent years. Therefore, adaptation of the initial empiric antibiotic approach to different factors, particularly the local epidemiology of MDRM infections, has been recommended. We aim to describe the main features, outcomes and risk factors of MDRM infections in patients with cirrhosis.MethodsProspective registry of all episodes of in-hospital infections occurring among cirrhotic patients admitted within a 2-year period at a single center. Clinical and microbiological data were collected at the time of infection diagnosis, and the in-hospital mortality rate of the infectious episode was registered.ResultsA total of 139 infectious episodes were included. The disease-causing microorganism was identified in 90 episodes (65%), of which 31 (22%) were caused by MDRM. The only two factors independently associated with MDRM infections were rectal colonization by MDRM and a nosocomial or healthcare-associated source. The infection-related mortality rate was 18.7%. MDRM infection and a past history of hepatic encephalopathy were independently associated with in-hospital mortality.ConclusionsAlmost one fourth of bacterial infections occurring in admitted cirrhotic patients were due to MDRM. Rectal colonization was the most important risk factor for MDRM infections in decompensated cirrhosis. Screening for MDRM rectal colonization in patients admitted for decompensated cirrhosis should be assessed as a tool to improve local empiric antibiotic strategies.     

Predictive Value of Serum and Cerebrospinal Fluid Procalcitonin Levels for the Diagnosis of Bacterial Meningitis

Background: The value of serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) procalcitonin for differentiating between acute bacterial and viral meningitis was assessed and compared to other parameters which are usually used in clinical practice. Patients: 45 adult patients (20 with bacterial and 25 with tick-borne encephalitis, TBE) were included in this prospective study. Results: The median serum procalcitonin level in patients with bacterial meningitis was 6.45 ng/ml (range 0.25–43.76 ng/ml) and in the group with viral meningitis 0.27 ng/ml (range 0.05–0.44 ng/ml). 11 patients with bacterial meningitis had an elevated procalcitonin concentration not only in serum, but also in CSF. A serum procalcitonin level > 0.5 ng/ml had a positive predictive value for bacterial meningitis of 100% and a negative predictive value of 93%, while corresponding values for CSF procalcitonin were 100% and 74%, respectively. Conclusion: Serum and CSF procalcitonin concentrations > 0.5 ng/ml appear to be a reliable indicator of bacterial central nervous system (CNS) infection, with maximal positive predictive values and high negative predictive values. Received: October 23, 2000 · Revision accepted: June 1, 2001     

血浆降钙素原及内毒素水平与肝硬化伴自发性细菌性腹膜炎的关系

探讨血浆降钙素原(procalcitonin,PCT)及内毒素水平对肝硬化伴自发性细菌性腹膜炎(spontaneous bacte-rial peritonitis,SBP)的诊断价值及与病原菌分型和临床预后的关系。肝硬化腹水患者(合并SBP38例,单纯腹水51例)血浆PCT含量和内毒素水平分别采用金标兔疫层析和分光光度法检测。所有患者PCT及内毒素水平均显著高于正常,SBP组PCT阳性检出率(>10ng/ml)及内毒素水平均显著高于无SBP组(P<0.001)。G菌感染组血浆内毒素水平显著高于G~+菌感染组(P<0.01),两组PCT阳性检出率分别为100％与88.9％,差异未见显著性(P>0.05)。动态观察最初三天血浆PCT的变化对不同结局的预测性及临床疗效的指导性优于内毒素检测。动态观察PCT及内毒素水平对肝硬化伴SBP的早期诊断、病原菌初步分型、临床疗效评估和预后判断等都有重要价值。     

Circulating levels of pentraxin-3 (PTX3) in patients with liver cirrhosis

BackgroundDespite the circulating levels of PTX3 were related to the severity of various diseases, there are no studies investigating its role in patients with liver cirrhosis. We aimed to study PTX3 levels in patients with liver cirrhosis.Material and methodsA prospective cohort study included 130 patients hospitalized for acute decompensation of liver cirrhosis, 29 stable cirrhotic outpatients and 32 healthy controls evaluated in a tertiary hospital in Southern Brasil.ResultsThe median PTX3 level was significantly higher in stable cirrhotic patients compared to controls (2.6 vs. 1.1 ng/mL; p < 0.001), hospitalized cirrhotic patients compared to controls (3.8 vs. 1.1 ng/mL; p < 0.001), and hospitalized cirrhotic patients compared to stable cirrhotic patients (3.8 vs. 2.6 ng/ mL; p = 0.001). A positive correlation was found between PTX3 and serum creatinine (r = 0.220; p = 0.012), Chronic Liver Failure -Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (CLIF-SOFA) (r = 0.220; p = 0.010), MELD (r = 0.279; p = 0.001) and Child-Pugh score (r = 0.224; p = 0.010). Significantly higher levels of PTX3 were observed in patients on admission with ACLF (8.9 vs. 3.1 ng/mL; p < 0.001) and MELD score ≥ 20 (6.6 vs. 3.4 ng/mL; p = 0.002). Death within 90 days occurred in 30.8% of patients and was associated with higher levels of PTX3 (5.3 vs. 3.4 ng/mL; p = 0.009). The probability of Kaplan-Meier survival was 77.0% in patients with PTX-3 < 5.3 ng mL (upper tercile) and 53.5% in those with PTX3 ≥ 5.3 ng/mL (p = 0.002).ConclusionThese results indicate the potential for use of PTX3 as an inflammatory biomarker for the prognosis of patients with hepatic cirrhosis.     

Diagnostic Value of Procalcitonin for Bacterial Infection in Elderly Patients in the Emergency Department

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of procalcitonin (PCT) in elderly patients with bacterial infection in the emergency department (ED). DESIGN: Prospective. SETTING: ED of a tertiary care hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Elderly patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) enrolled from September 2004 through August 2005. MEASUREMENTS: A serum sample for the measurement of PCT, two sets of blood cultures, and other cultures of relevant specimens from infection sites were collected in the ED. Two independent experts blinded to the PCT results classified the patients into bacterial infection and nonbacterial infection groups. RESULTS: Of the 262 patients with SIRS enrolled, 204 were classified as having bacterial infection and 48 as having bacteremia. PCT levels were significantly higher in patients with bacteremia than in those without. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for identification of bacteremia according to PCT was 0.817 for the old‐old group (≥75), significantly higher than 0.639 for the young‐old group (65–74); P=.02). The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of PCT for bacteremia in patients aged 75 and older were 96.0%, 68.3%, 33.8%, and 98.8%, respectively, with a PCT cutoff value of 0.38 ng/mL. CONCLUSION: PCT is sensitive for diagnosing bacteremia in elderly patients with SIRS at ED admission but is helpful in excluding bacteremia only in those aged 75 and older. PCT is not an independent predictor of local infections in these patients.     

Serum procalcitonin concentrations in bacterial pneumonia in children: a negative result in primary healthcare settings

A microbe-specific diagnosis in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is difficult in children, and studies on nonspecific chest radiographic and host response markers have been inconsistent. Serum procalcitonin (PCT) is a newly recognized, promising marker for differentiating between bacterial and viral infections. Serum PCT was measured by a luminometric assay in 190 children with CAP diagnosed in the primary healthcare setting during a population-based study in a geographically defined population. The pneumococcal, mycoplasma, chlamydia, and viral etiology of infections was studied by an extensive serologic test panel. The median PCT concentrations were 0.47, 0.46, and 0.35 ng/mL in children aged <5 years, 5-9 years, and >/=10 years (P = 0.004). An elevated PCT >1.0 ng/mL was seen in 12.1% and >2.0 ng/mL in only 2.1% of the children. No association was seen between severity (inpatient vs. outpatient care) and etiology of CAP (evidence for pneumococcal, mycoplasma, or chlamydia, vs. viral infection). We conclude that serum PCT measurements have no role in the diagnosis of bacterial CAP in children in primary healthcare settings.