Serum procalcitonin in uncomplicated falciparum malaria: a preliminary study.
BACKGROUND
Procalcitonin (PCT) has been found elevated in complicated forms of Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Its usefulness has almost never been assessed in uncomplicated falciparum malaria.


METHODS
We assessed diagnostic and prognostic value of PCT in a prospective series of 25 adults with uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria. Patients originated mainly from western Africa and were infected during a stay back in their native country (19 semi-immune and 6 non-immune subjects; 11 had not received any chemoprophylaxis).


RESULTS
Parasitaemia ranged from 0.01 to 3%. Eighteen patients had their first PCT determined at admission or within 24h thereafter (mean +/- SD: 3.0 +/- 4.6 ng/ml; range: 0.1-19.7). PCT was higher than 0.5 ng/ml in 14 patients (78%), higher than 2 ng/ml in 7 (39%). PCT correlated with parasitaemia (r = 0.53; p = 0.027), not with C-reactive protein (CRP). Delay between first symptoms and diagnosis was much longer among patients with PCT higher than 2 ng/ml than among those with a lower PCT.


CONCLUSIONS
PCT was often elevated in uncomplicated malaria, especially when delay between first symptoms and diagnosis was long or parasitaemia was high (prognostic marker).
Uzzan
Bernard
B
Department of Pharmacology-Hormonology, AP-HP, Hôpital Avicenne, Bobigny, France. bernard.uzzan@avc.ap-hop-paris.fr
Izri
Arezki
A
Durand
Rémy
R
Deniau
Michèle
M
Bouchaud
Olivier
O
Perret
Gérard-Yves
GY
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000097:blood*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D014171:Transients and Migrants
D015415:Biomarkers; C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide