title: [Diagnostic value of procalcitonin, interleukin 8, interleukin 6, and C-reactive protein for detecting bacteremia and fungemia in cancer patients].
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Diagnóstico Clínico, Fundación Instituto Valenciano de Oncología, Valencia, España.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aznar-Oroval
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Yepes
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lorente-Alegre
authors.forename: Mari Carmen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: San Juan-Gadea
authors.forename: Blanca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ortiz-Muñoz
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pérez-Ballestero
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Picón-Roig
authors.forename: Joaquín
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maíquez-Richart
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide