title: Serial measurement of presepsin, procalcitonin, and C-reactive protein in the early postoperative period and the response to antithymocyte globulin administration after heart transplantation.
abstract: Differentiation between systemic inflammatory response syndrome and sepsis in surgical patients is of crucial significance. Procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are widely used biomarkers, but PCT becomes compromised after antithymocyte globulin (ATG) administration, and CRP exhibits limited specificity. Presepsin has been suggested as an alternative biomarker of sepsis. This study aimed to demonstrate the role of presepsin in patients after heart transplantation (HTx). Plasma presepsin, PCT, and CRP were measured in 107 patients serially for up to 10 days following HTx. Time responses of biomarkers were evaluated for both noninfected (n=91) and infected (n=16) patients. Areas under the concentration curve differed in the two groups of patients for presepsin (P<.001), PCT (P<.005), and CRP (P<.001). The effect of time and infection was significant for all three biomarkers (P<.05 all). In contrast to PCT, presepsin was not influenced by ATG administration. More than 25% of noninfected patients had PCT above 42 μg/L on the first day, and the peak concentration of CRP in infected patients was reached on the third post-transplant day (median 135 mg/L). Presepsin seems to be as valuable a biomarker as PCT or CRP in the evaluation of infectious complications in patients after HTx.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Methods, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic.|Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Janka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Franeková
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Methods, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic.|Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sečník
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Methods, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic.|Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lavríková
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Methods, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Zdenek
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kubíček
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Lenka
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hošková
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Resuscitation, and Intensive Care, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kieslichová
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Methods, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic.|Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Antonín
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jabor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000378:metabolism*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum; D015415:Biomarkers; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C000594167:presepsin protein, human; D002116:Calcitonin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein
keywords: C-reactive protein; antithymocyte globulin; heart transplantation; postoperative sepsis; presepsin; procalcitonin