BACKGROUND: Procalcitonin (PCT) has been found elevated in complicated forms of Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Its usefulness has almost never been assessed in uncomplicated falciparum malaria. METHOD: We assessed diagnostic and prognostic value of PCT in a prospective series of 25 adults with uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria. Patients originated mainly from western Africa and were infected during a stay back in their native country (19 semi-immune and 6 non-immune subjects; 11 had not received any chemoprophylaxis). RESULTS: Parasitaemia ranged from 0.01 to 3%. Eighteen patients had their first PCT determined at admission or within 24h thereafter (mean +/- SD: 3.0 +/- 4.6 ng/ml; range: 0.1-19.7). PCT was higher than 0.5 ng/ml in 14 patients (78%), higher than 2 ng/ml in 7 (39%). PCT correlated with parasitaemia (r = 0.53; p = 0.027), not with C-reactive protein (CRP). Delay between first symptoms and diagnosis was much longer among patients with PCT higher than 2 ng/ml than among those with a lower PCT. CONCLUSION: PCT was often elevated in uncomplicated malaria, especially when delay between first symptoms and diagnosis was long or parasitaemia was high (prognostic marker).
BACKGROUND: Procalcitonin (PCT) has been found elevated in complicated forms of Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Its usefulness has almost never been assessed in uncomplicated falciparum malaria. METHOD: We assessed diagnostic and prognostic value of PCT in a prospective series of 25 adults with uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria. Patients originated mainly from western Africa and were infected during a stay back in their native country (19 semi-immune and 6 non-immune subjects; 11 had not received any chemoprophylaxis). RESULTS: Parasitaemia ranged from 0.01 to 3%. Eighteen patients had their first PCT determined at admission or within 24h thereafter (mean +/- SD: 3.0 +/- 4.6 ng/ml; range: 0.1-19.7). PCT was higher than 0.5 ng/ml in 14 patients (78%), higher than 2 ng/ml in 7 (39%). PCT correlated with parasitaemia (r = 0.53; p = 0.027), not with C-reactive protein (CRP). Delay between first symptoms and diagnosis was much longer among patients with PCT higher than 2 ng/ml than among those with a lower PCT. CONCLUSION: PCT was often elevated in uncomplicated malaria, especially when delay between first symptoms and diagnosis was long or parasitaemia was high (prognostic marker).
Authors: Fabrice Bruneel; Florence Tubach; Jean-Paul Mira; Sandrine Houze; Sebastien Gibot; Marie-Genevieve Huisse; Bruno Megarbane; Christophe Choquet; Philippe Corne; Eric Peytel; Daniel Villers; Christophe Camus; Olivier Bouchaud; Eric Caumes; Pierre-Marie Girard; Fabrice Simon; Antoine Kalloumeh; Carine Roy; Remy Durand; Jacques Le Bras; Sophie Matheron; Michel Wolff Journal: Intensive Care Med Date: 2016-05-11 Impact factor: 17.440
Authors: Aongart Mahittikorn; Kwuntida Uthaisar Kotepui; Wanida Mala; Polrat Wilairatana; Manas Kotepui Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-09-09 Impact factor: 4.614
Authors: Dennis A Hesselink; Jan-Steven Burgerhart; Hanna Bosmans-Timmerarends; Pieter Petit; Perry J J van Genderen Journal: Malar J Date: 2009-09-01 Impact factor: 2.979