title: Elevated plasma stromal-cell-derived factor-1 protein levels correlate with severity in patients with community-acquired pneumonia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to investigate differential changes in plasma levels of stromal-cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) before and after antibiotic treatment in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and observe the association between the severity of CAP and the plasma SDF-1 level.
  
  
  METHODS
  We gathered blood specimens from 61 adult CAP patients before and after antibiotic treatment and from 60 healthy controls to measure the plasma concentrations of SDF-1 by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The plasma SDF-1 concentration was elevated significantly in patients with CAP before receiving treatment compared with the controls and decreased significantly after the patients received treatment. Leukocyte (WBC) and neutrophil counts and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels decreased significantly after antibiotic treatment. Moreover, differences in the plasma concentration of SDF-1 were significantly correlated with PSI, CURB-65, and APACHE II scores (r = 0.389, P = 0.002, and n = 61; r = 0.449, P < 0.001, and n = 61; and r = 0.363, P = 0.004, and n = 61, resp.).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An elevated plasma SDF-1 concentration can be used as a biological marker for the early diagnosis of CAP and for the early detection of its severity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Zuoying Branch of Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung 813, Taiwan ; Department of Emergency Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung 402, Taiwan ; Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, No. 110, Section 1, Chien-Kuo N. Road, Taichung 402, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ping-Kun
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, No. 110, Section 1, Chien-Kuo N. Road, Taichung 402, Taiwan ; Cancer Research Center, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua 500, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Ju
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, No. 110, Section 1, Chien-Kuo N. Road, Taichung 402, Taiwan ; Department of Beauty Science, National Taichung University of Science and Technology, Taichung 403, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsiang-Ling
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, No. 110, Section 1, Chien-Kuo N. Road, Taichung 402, Taiwan ; School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 402, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Chih
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, No. 110, Section 1, Chien-Kuo N. Road, Taichung 402, Taiwan ; Department of Medical Research, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung 402, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shun-Fa
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung 402, Taiwan ; Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, No. 110, Section 1, Chien-Kuo N. Road, Taichung 402, Taiwan ; Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 402, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chao-Bin
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3978-5576
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Yeh
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12 / Q000097:blood*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: C515255:CXCL12 protein, human; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12