OBJECTIVES: Hematopoietic stem-cell transplant is a curative therapy for several malignant and nonmalignant disorders. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and procalcitonin with complications such as acute graft-versus-host disease, veno-occlusive disease, and infection after hematopoietic stem-cell transplant. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and procalcitonin levels were sequentially measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and a semiquantitative immunochromatographic assay in 35 patients who had undergone hematopoietic stem-cell transplant. RESULTS: The high-sensitivity C-reactive protein serum level was increased in patients with acute graft-versus-host disease and in those with sepsis. Increased procalcitonin levels were associated only with bacterial infection. Only procalcitonin levels differentiated patients with infection from those with another transplant-related complication. Veno-occlusive disease did not alter C-reactive protein or procalcitonin levels. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support theories that serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and procalcitonin are biomarkers for transplantrelated complications such as graft-versus-host disease or infection and that the procalcitonin level can differentiate patients with infection from those with graft-versus-host disease.
OBJECTIVES: Hematopoietic stem-cell transplant is a curative therapy for several malignant and nonmalignant disorders. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and procalcitonin with complications such as acute graft-versus-host disease, veno-occlusive disease, and infection after hematopoietic stem-cell transplant. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and procalcitonin levels were sequentially measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and a semiquantitative immunochromatographic assay in 35 patients who had undergone hematopoietic stem-cell transplant. RESULTS: The high-sensitivity C-reactive protein serum level was increased in patients with acute graft-versus-host disease and in those with sepsis. Increased procalcitonin levels were associated only with bacterial infection. Only procalcitonin levels differentiated patients with infection from those with another transplant-related complication. Veno-occlusive disease did not alter C-reactive protein or procalcitonin levels. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support theories that serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and procalcitonin are biomarkers for transplantrelated complications such as graft-versus-host disease or infection and that the procalcitonin level can differentiate patients with infection from those with graft-versus-host disease.
Authors: K S R Massaro; R Macedo; B S de Castro; F Dulley; M S Oliveira; M A S Yasuda; A S Levin; S F Costa Journal: Infection Date: 2014-09-30 Impact factor: 3.553