Selective induction of pentraxin 3, a soluble innate immune pattern recognition receptor, in infectious episodes in patients with haematological malignancy.
Pentraxins are a superfamily of conserved proteins induced in response to microbial and inflammatory stimuli. Members of this family include C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid P component, collectively known as the classical short pentraxins, and the more recently discovered pentraxin 3 (PTX3), a member of the closely related subfamily of the long pentraxins. PTX3 has been shown to be produced in response to microbial infections, and highly elevated levels were reported in patients with sepsis. In this study, PTX3 levels were evaluated in sera of a group of patients with haematological malignancy. Our findings indicate that serum PTX3 was elevated in only 1/11 afebrile episodes, despite evidence of mucositis (median 1.39), in 10/10 episodes of blood stream or target organ infections (median 7.2) but, surprisingly, was normal in 5/5 episodes of invasive aspergillosis (median 1.39). The data suggest that serum PTX3 levels are elevated selectively in response to infection. These disparate responses require further study.
Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. ramadi.b@uaeu.ac.ae
Basel K
BK
al-Ramadi
Michael
M
Ellis
Fabio
F
Pasqualini
Alberto
A
Mantovani
D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component / Q000378:metabolism*; D012995:Solubility; D000099153:Pentraxins
D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component; D000099153:Pentraxins