[Diagnostic value of procalcitonin, interleukin 8, interleukin 6, and C-reactive protein for detecting bacteremia and fungemia in cancer patients].
OBJECTIVE
Bacteremia is one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin 8 (IL-8), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and C-reactive protein (CRP) in the detection of bacteremia in cancer patients.


METHODS
PCT, IL-8, IL-6, and CPR levels were measured in 2 groups of cancer patients who had fever: one group with true bacteremia and another without bacteremia.


RESULTS
Seventy-nine febrile episodes were analyzed in 79 patients, 43 men and 36 women. Forty-four patients were in the true bacteremia group. Significant differences in PCT (P<0.001), IL-8 (P<0.001), and IL-6 (P=0.002) values were found between patients with and without true bacteremia. CPR results were not significantly different between the groups (P=0.23). The cut-off point for PCT was 0.5 ng/mL and this parameter yielded the best specificity at 91.4%, with a sensitivity of 59.1%.


CONCLUSIONS
Among the infection markers studied, PCT provided the most information for diagnosing bacteremia in cancer patients.
Aznar-Oroval
Eduardo
E
Laboratorio de Diagnóstico Clínico, Fundación Instituto Valenciano de Oncología, Valencia, España.
Sánchez-Yepes
Marina
M
Lorente-Alegre
Pablo
P
San Juan-Gadea
Mari Carmen
MC
Ortiz-Muñoz
Blanca
B
Pérez-Ballestero
Pilar
P
Picón-Roig
Isabel
I
Maíquez-Richart
Joaquín
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D005260:Female; D016469:Fungemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*
C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide