title: Elevation of serum procalcitonin in patients after chemical pleurodesis with intrapleural injection of OK-432.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In patients with refractory pleural effusion or pneumothorax, fever and elevated level of white blood cell count (WBC) are frequently observed after chemical pleurodesis with intrapleural injection of OK-432, which make it difficult to differentiate whether it was from the side effects of OK-432 or concurrent bacterial infection.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Procalcitonin (PCT) levels were measured before and after pleurodesis so as to discuss whether PCT is useful for distinguishing between the side effects of OK-432 and concurrent bacterial infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-six patients with refractory pleural effusion or pneumothorax who underwent chemical pleurodesis with intrapleural injection of OK-432 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between August 2010 and August 2012 were included in our study. Levels of PCT and WBC were measured before and after pleurodesis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of all 26 patients, 22 patients were with refractory pleural effusion, and the other four were with pneumothorax. The median serum levels of PCT and WBC elevated from 0.155 to 1.470 ng/mL (P = 0.009) and from 5.920 to 10.475 × 10(9) /L (P = 0.000), respectively. No patient was given antibiotics and fever subsided.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intrapleural injection of OK-432 could increase the serum level of PCT and WBC with no bacterial infection. The serum PCT level may not be useful to distinguish whether fever was caused by the side effects of OK-432 or concurrent bacterial infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Bing-ling
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jin-quan
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Ke-jing
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Da-yue
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yu-kun
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Kuang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010844:Picibanil / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D018700:Pleurodesis; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D010844:Picibanil; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide
keywords: OK-432; chemical pleurodesis; fever; procalcitonin; white blood cell count