title: Assessment of systemic inflammation markers to differentiate a stable from a deteriorating clinical course in patients with febrile neutropenia.
abstract: In this study, we evaluated the predictive values of procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and serum amyloid A (SAA) for determining the clinical course in febrile neutropenic patients. Daily plasma analyses during the fever course were performed in 101 episodes with fever and chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (neutrophil count <0.5 x 10(9)/L). Procalcitonin (PCT) and IL-6 values were significantly higher in febrile episodes in patients who developed complications. Procalcitonin with a cut-off value of < or =0.4 ng/mL or IL-6 < or =50 pg/mL 3 d after fever onset indicated daily high negative predictive values (NPVs) (91-100%) for episodes with complications. No marker could predict deterioration; however, daily low plasma concentrations of PCT or IL-6 during the first 8 d of fever were found to be a good predictor of no subsequent complications in neutropenic patients and therefore to be a helpful tool for limiting anti-microbial therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Orebro University Hospital and Karolinska Institute, Orebro, Sweden. lennart.persson2@orebroll.se
authors.forename: Lennart
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Persson
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Söderquist
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Engervall
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vikerfors
authors.forename: Lars-Olof
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Hansson
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Tidefelt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; D011498:Protein Precursors; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein; D002116:Calcitonin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide