title: Value of the NBT test in the diagnosis of bacterial infection in untreated cancer patients and in those on radio- and/or chemotherapy.
abstract: As the first step in the study, the results of the NBT test in 83 patients with various untreated neoplasms, including 20 lymphomas, without bacterial infections and in 35 neoplastic patients with this complications were compared with the results obtained in control groups. No significant differences in the results were found between the groups of neoplastic patients without or with bacterial infections and the controls. To evaluate the NBT test during radio- and/or chemotherapy, especially in neutropenia, 45 patients were NBT-monitored. During the study of 102 episodes of neutropenia 43 infections occurred and 30 were NBT-confirmed. In remaining 13 cases it was impossible to perform the test because of extremely low neutrophil count (below 500/mul). All 20 infections in patients with normal neutrophil count were NBT-positive. These results confirm the usefulness of the test for infection screening in untreated with malignancies, as well as in patients receiving radio- and/or chemotherapy. However, the test can be taken only in patients without severe neutropenia.
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D009580:Nitroblue Tetrazolium; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D009580:Nitroblue Tetrazolium