Elevated serum cytokine levels using cytometric bead arrays predict culture-positive infections in childhood oncology patients with febrile neutropenia.
Neutropenic patients with bacteraemia need prolonged intravenous antibiotic treatment. Using cytometric bead array technology, we show in children with febrile neutropenia that bacteraemia is associated with an elevation of at least 1 of 3 plasma cytokines plus C-reactive protein. The combination of interleukin (IL)-8, IL-6, IL-10, and C-reactive protein values above operator-defined cutoff levels identified 15 of 16 episodes of bacteraemia, making this a potentially useful technique in identifying high-risk patients who should not be discharged early from hospital. Furthermore, low risk of bacteraemia may be predicted by a combination of below threshold cytokines and negative clinical examination.
Child Health Research Institute and CRC for Diagnostics, SA Pathology at Women's and Children's Hospital, North Adelaide, South Australia.
Shiraz
S
Badurdeen
Greg
G
Hodge
Michael
M
Osborn
Julius
J
Scott
Celia
C
St John-Green
Heather
H
Tapp
Heddy
H
Zola
Tamas
T
Revesz
D016470:Bacteremia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005334:Fever / Q000276:immunology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000276:immunology*
D016207:Cytokines; D002097:C-Reactive Protein