title: Procalcitonin as a predictive marker of infections in chemoinduced neutropenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to determine the usefulness of procalcitonin (PCT) as a predictive marker of infections in neutropenic patients following chemotherapeutic treatments.
  
  
  METHODS
  Over a 6-month period, 65 patients (34 affected by a solid tumor, 31 by a hematological disorder) were enrolled. Serum PCT concentrations were measured by an automated immunoassay on the leucocytes nadir and on the third day, when patients were checked for any sign of infection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Procalcitonin values were not affected by gender, age, therapeutic approach, use of G-CSF or performance status and did not differ between patients who subsequently developed a localized infection and those who did not. PCT concentrations resulted higher in patients affected by hematological disorders than in those affected by solid tumors (mean value 0.09 vs. 0.05 microg/L; p < 0.0015) and in those who were hospitalized than in the outpatient group (0.10 vs. 0.05 microg/L; p < 0.0013). PCT levels correlated with the type of neoplastic disease (p = 0.016), the highest concentrations being detected in patients affected by acute leukemia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that PCT is not a useful predictive marker of infection in oncohematologic neutropenic patients, even though higher serum PCT concentrations are associated with hematological tumors as well as in-hospital admission.
authors.affiliation: Oncohematological Center, San Giovanni Battista University Hospital, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carnino
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Betteto
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Loiacono
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chiappella
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giacobino
authors.forename: Libero
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ciuffreda
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lista
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mengozzi
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D005260:Female; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide