The pitfall in evaluating several serological markers of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in a neutropenic patient.
We compared the significance of several serum markers to evaluate the activity of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) in an immunocompromised patient. We successively measured KL-6, an amino-terminal propeptide of Type III procollagen (PIIINP), and the cytokeratin 19 fragment (CK19) in the sera of a patient with PCP. Interestingly, PIIINP, KL-6, and CK19 levels in the sera did not increase at the time of onset of PCP during a neutropenic phase. Instead, they markedly increased after the recovery of WBC counts. This case suggests that values of PIIINP, KL-6, and CK19 used for monitoring the activity of PCP might be underestimated in neutropenic patients.
First Department of Internal Medicine, Kagawa Medical University.
J
J
Fujita
K
K
Kawakami
Y
Y
Matsuhashi
S
S
Bandoh
M
M
Nagai
J
J
Takahara
D000368:Aged; D000941:Antigens; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007633:Keratins / Q000097:blood; D018396:Mucin-1; D009077:Mucins; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011347:Procollagen / Q000097:blood
D000941:Antigens; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D015415:Biomarkers; D006023:Glycoproteins; C060192:MUC1 protein, human; D018396:Mucin-1; D009077:Mucins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011347:Procollagen; C041876:procollagen Type III-N-terminal peptide; D007633:Keratins