title: Pancreatic stone protein as a postmortem biochemical marker for the diagnosis of sepsis.
abstract: Pancreatic stone protein/regenerating protein has recently emerged as an interesting diagnostic and prognostic marker of inflammation and sepsis in the clinical field. Increased blood concentrations have been described in patients with sepsis. Moreover, a high accuracy in predicting fatal outcomes in septic patients admitted to intensive care units has been reported. In this study, we investigated pancreatic stone protein/regenerating protein in postmortem serum in a series of sepsis-related fatalities, local infections and non-infectious cases that underwent medico-legal investigations. Procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, interleukin 6, soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 and pancreatic stone protein/regenerating protein were measured in the postmortem serum collected during autopsy in a group of sepsis-related deaths, local infections and non-septic intensive care unit patients. Statistically significant differences in pancreatic stone protein/regenerating protein concentrations were observed between sepsis and control patients. A significant positive correlation was found between procalcitonin and pancreatic stone protein/regenerating protein values in septic cases. Pancreatic stone protein/regenerating protein is measurable in postmortem serum from femoral blood collected during autopsy. Additionally, as in the clinical field, pancreatic stone protein/regenerating protein can be used as a postmortem biochemical marker for the diagnosis of sepsis.
authors.affiliation: University Center of Legal Medicine, Rue du Bugnon 21, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland. Electronic address: cristian.palmiere@chuv.ch.
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Palmiere
authors.affiliation: University Center of Legal Medicine, Rue du Bugnon 21, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Augsburger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D051847:Lithostathine / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000097:blood; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000073871:Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells-1
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; D051847:Lithostathine; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D011498:Protein Precursors; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; C408842:TREM1 protein, human; D000073871:Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells-1; D002116:Calcitonin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide
keywords: Acute phase proteins; Biomarkers; C-reactive protein; Infection; Inflammation; Inflammation markers; Pancreatic stone protein/regenerating protein; Procalcitonin