Procalcitonin levels in plasma in oncohaematologic patients with and without bacterial infections.
BACKGROUND
The flogosis markers currently in use show both low sensitivity and specificity, particularly in neoplastic and degenerative diseases. Procalcitonin (PCT) is a pro-peptide of calcitonin produced mainly but not only in the C-cells of the thyroid glands and, as several studies show, PCT levels in plasma increase during infections. Bacterial infections are also the main cause of death in oncological patients. Furthermore, in patients with leukaemia in chemotherapy recovery, infections often induce relapses. The aim of the present study is to detect PCT levels in plasma in oncohaematologic patients with and without infections.


METHODS
The study was carried out on 54 patients by a quantitative automated immunoassay.


RESULTS
PCT plasma levels > or =0.5 ng were detected in 27 out of 30 patients (90,0%) with bacterial infections; 8 out of 9 patients (88,9%) with viral infections and in 12 out of 15 patients in the control group without statistically significant differences.


CONCLUSIONS
The results, which differ from those in the literature, are discussed.
Ciaccio
Marcello
M
Chair of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy. marcello.ciaccio@unipa.it
Fugardi
Gabriella
G
Titone
Lucina
L
Romano
Amelia
A
Giordano
Salvatore
S
Bivona
Giulia
G
Scarlata
Francesco
F
Vocca
Lavinia
L
Di Gangi
Maria
M
D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D007938:Leukemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis
C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide