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.


METHODS
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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Jereb
M
M
University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Slovenia. matjaz.jereb@kclj.si
Muzlovic
I
I
Hojker
S
S
Strle
F
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004669:Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004675:Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide