title: The predictive value of serum procalcitonin levels in adult patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis.
abstract: The aim of our prospective study was to evaluate the predictive value of serum procalcitonin (PCT) level in comparison with C-reactive protein level and erythrocyte sedimentation rate for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) on admission and 6 months after the administration of anti-tuberculous chemotherapy (ATCT). Seventy-five adult male patients with active PTB who were mycobacteriologically diagnosed (smear and culture positivity) were examined in this study. As a control group, 75 healthy adult males were enrolled. The measured serum PCT levels were within the normal range both in healthy individuals and in patients 6 months after ATCT. Serum PCT levels had been slightly high on admission in patients with PTB in comparison with controls (P = 0.01) and patients who had ATCT (P = 0.001), and this difference was statistically significant, but the PCT levels of most cases with PTB (58.7%) were below the usual cut-off level (0.5 ng/mL). We conclude from this study that the serum PCT level was not a reliable indicator in the diagnosis of active PTB because of its low sensitivity (41.3%), and in most cases it was not capable of overcoming the cut-off level even if statistically meaningful results were obtained. The PCT test for the presumptive diagnosis of PTB cannot be substituted for microbiological, epidemiological, clinical and radiological data.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology, Gulhane Military Medical Academy and School of Medicine, Etlik, Ankara, Turkey. obaylan@gata.edu.tr
authors.forename: Orhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Baylan
authors.forename: Arzu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balkan
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Inal
authors.forename: Ozgul
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kisa
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Albay
authors.forename: Levent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Doganci
authors.forename: Cengiz Han
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Acikel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide