Why is procalcitonin elevated in infection?
Procalcitonin (PCT) is a peptide precursor of the hormone calcitonin. The level of PCT increases in response to a pro-inflammatory stimulus, especially of bacterial origin. The high PCT levels produced during infection are not followed by a parallel increase in calcitonin or serum calcium levels.
How is procalcitonin related to infection?
Procalcitonin (PCT) is synthesized by a large number of tissues and organs in response to invasion by pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and some parasites. A growing body of evidence supports the use of PCT as a marker to improve the diagnosis of bacterial infections and to guide antibiotic therapy.
What level of procalcitonin indicates infection?
The reference value for procalcitonin in adults is less than 0.1 ng/mL. Levels greater than 0.25 ng/mL can indicate the presence of an infection.
What causes procalcitonin?
Procalcitonin is a substance produced by many types of cells in the body, often in response to bacterial infections but also in response to tissue injury. The level of procalcitonin in the blood can increase significantly in systemic bacterial infections and sepsis.
Is procalcitonin an inflammatory marker?
Procalcitonin (PCT) is an inflammatory marker that has been used as indicator of severe bacterial infection. We evaluated the concentrations of PCT as a marker for systemic infection compared to C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients neutropenic febrile.
What can raise procalcitonin?
Factors which may cause a raised PCT apart from a bacterial infection include recent major surgery,14 severe trauma,15 severe burns16 and prolonged cardiogenic shock. However, in the absence of infection, these patients should have decreasing PCT levels on subsequent measurements.
How do you reduce procalcitonin?
Serum procalcitonin levels decrease rapidly with appropriate antibiotic treatment, diminishing the value of lumbar puncture performed 48–72 hours after admission to assess treatment efficacy.
Is procalcitonin elevated in fungal infections?
Procalcitonin (PCT) has been described as a marker of bacterial sepsis. However, little is known of its diagnostic value in fungal infections.
How do you lower procalcitonin levels?
How fast can procalcitonin rise?
Kinetics — Serum procalcitonin levels rise within two to four hours of an inflammatory stimulus, typically peaking within 24 to 48 hours [39,50].