title: Clinical potential of C-reactive protein and procalcitonin serum concentrations to guide differential diagnosis and clinical management of pneumococcal and Legionella pneumonia.
abstract: We retrospectively analyzed the records of 61 hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae or Legionella pneumophila. We found that serum procalcitonin and sodium concentrations were significantly lower, and ferritin levels were significantly higher, in patients infected with L. pneumophila than in those infected with S. pneumoniae. The ratio of C-reactive protein to procalcitonin significantly distinguished between the groups. High procalcitonin levels were associated with an adverse clinical course.
authors.affiliation: Medical University of Innsbruck, Department of Internal Medicine I, Clinical Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Anichstrasse 35, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bellmann-Weiler
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ausserwinkler
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kurz
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Theurl
authors.forename: Guenter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Weiss
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007877:Legionnaires' Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011018:Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D044967:Serum / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D005293:Ferritins; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide