OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether serum procalcitonin (PCT) levels could be useful to differentiate between systemic infection and the activity of the underlying disease in autoimmune disease. METHODS: In 18 patients with systemic lupus erythematodes (SLE) and 35 patients with systemic antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV) clinical disease activity was assessed by score systems. Infection was defined by clinical and microbiological means. PCT was determined in parallel with concentrations of neopterin, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and C-reactive protein (CRP) in 397 serum samples. RESULTS: Only in 3 of the 324 samples taken from patients with autoimmune disease but without concomitant infection, serum PCT levels were above the normal range (>0.5 ng/ml), whereas neopterin, CRP and IL-6 were elevated in patients with active underlying disease. All systemic infections (N=16 in AAV-patients) were associated with markedly elevated PCT-levels (mean+/-SD:1.93+/-1.19 ng/ml). CONCLUSION: PCT may serve as a useful marker for the detection of systemic bacterial infection in patients with autoimmune disease.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether serum procalcitonin (PCT) levels could be useful to differentiate between systemic infection and the activity of the underlying disease in autoimmune disease. METHODS: In 18 patients with systemic lupus erythematodes (SLE) and 35 patients with systemic antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV) clinical disease activity was assessed by score systems. Infection was defined by clinical and microbiological means. PCT was determined in parallel with concentrations of neopterin, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and C-reactive protein (CRP) in 397 serum samples. RESULTS: Only in 3 of the 324 samples taken from patients with autoimmune disease but without concomitant infection, serum PCT levels were above the normal range (>0.5 ng/ml), whereas neopterin, CRP and IL-6 were elevated in patients with active underlying disease. All systemic infections (N=16 in AAV-patients) were associated with markedly elevated PCT-levels (mean+/-SD:1.93+/-1.19 ng/ml). CONCLUSION: PCT may serve as a useful marker for the detection of systemic bacterial infection in patients with autoimmune disease.
Authors: M D Smith; Y Suputtamongkol; W Chaowagul; M Assicot; C Bohuon; S Petitjean; N J White Journal: Clin Infect Dis Date: 1995-03 Impact factor: 9.079
Authors: O K Eberhard; I Langefeld; E R Kuse; F M Brunkhorst; V Kliem; H J Schlitt; R Pichlmayr; K M Koch; R Brunkhorst Journal: Clin Transplant Date: 1998-06 Impact factor: 2.863
Authors: Thomas Bertsch; Jakob Triebel; Cornelius Bollheimer; Michael Christ; Cornel Sieber; Klaus Fassbender; Hans Jürgen Heppner Journal: Z Gerontol Geriatr Date: 2015-09-03 Impact factor: 1.281