title: [Role of procalcitonin in the diagnosis of uncomplicated infective endocarditis].
abstract: Infective endocarditis especially where blood culture is negative frequently causes problems in diagnosis despite of many nonspecific inflammation parameters. Procalcitonin (PCT) concentration is a new marker of severe bacterial and fungal infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of PCT concentration assessment in the diagnosis of uncomplicated infective endocarditis of bacterial etiology. The study group consisted of 30 patients with ongoing infective endocarditis in the course of acquired valvular heart disease. The diagnosis of bacterial endocarditis was established according to the Duke criteria on the basis of: clinical examination, laboratory investigations (inflammatory parameters, transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography) and positive blood cultures. Patients with sepsis, concomitant infections and in an early postoperative period were excluded. Two control groups consisted of: 10 patients without endocarditis and other infections and another 10 patients without endocarditis and with an urinary tract infection. Serum procalcitonin concentrations were measured by an immunoluminometric assay (LUMItest PCT set). Mean serum PCT concentrations in patients with endocarditis (0.12 +/- 0.13, range 0-0.4 ng/ml) were significantly higher than in control group without infection (0.03 +/- 0.05, range 0-0.1 ng/ml) and higher than in control group with an urinary tract infection (0.02 +/- 0.04, range 0-0.1 ng/ml). However in 12 patients (of 30) were below sensitivity of the method and in the rest were within normal range (< 0.5 ng/ml).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum PCT concentration assessment seems to have no value in the diagnosis of uncomplicated infective endocarditis.
authors.affiliation: Klinika Nabytych Wad Serca Instytutu Kardiologii w Warszawie 04-628 Warszawa, ul. Alpejska 42. hryniew@ikard.waw.pl
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hryniewiecki
authors.forename: Dariusz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sitkiewicz
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rawczyńska-Englert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide