title: Serum and pleural fluid procalcitonin in predicting bacterial infection in patients with parapneumonic effusion.
abstract: This study evaluated the value of procalcitonin (PCT) levels in pleural effusion to differentiate the etiology of parapneumonic effusion (PPE). Forty-one consecutive PPE patients were enrolled and were divided into bacterial and non-bacterial PPE. Blood and pleural effusion samples were collected for PCT measurement on admission and analyzed for diagnostic evaluation. PCT of pleural fluid was significantly increased in the bacterial PPE group (0.24 ng/mL) compared to the non-bacterial PPE group (0.09 ng/mL), but there was no significant difference for serum PCT. A PCT concentration of pleural fluid >0.174 ng/mL (best cut-off value) was considered positive for a diagnosis of bacterial PPE (sensitivity, 80%; specificity, 76%; AUC, 0.84). Pleural effusion PCT in the bacterial PPE is significantly different from those of the non-bacterial PPE and control groups, so the diagnostic use of PCT still warrants further investigation.
authors: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Martin De Porres Hospital, Chiayi, Taiwan.
authors: Yang-Ching
authors: YC
authors: Ko
authors: Wen-Pin
authors: WP
authors: Wu
authors: Chi-Sen
authors: CS
authors: Hsu
authors: Mong-Ping
authors: MP
authors: Dai
authors: Chien-Chih
authors: CC
authors: Ou
authors: Chih-Hsiung
authors: CH
authors: Kao
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D012372:ROC Curve
chemical_list: C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide