RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Usefulness of serum procalcitonin in lung cancer patients with elevated serum C-reactive protein level
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP p2803
VO 38
IS Suppl 55
A1 Hee Jung Ban
A1 Seung Gyu Ji
A1 Su Young Chi
A1 Eun Young Kim
A1 Yoon Hee Kim
A1 Kyu Sik Kim
A1 In Jae Oh
A1 Young Chul Kim
A1 Yong Soo Kwon
A1 Yu-Il Kim
A1 Sung Chul Lim
YR 2011
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p2803.abstract
AB Background: It is not easy to distinguish between infections and other causes with C-reactive protein (CRP) level or white blood cell (WBC) count in febrile lung cancer patients. We investigated the usefulness of serum procalcitonin (PCT) and CRP for the differential diagnosis of fever in lung cancer patients.Methods: We measured serum PCT level and WBC count in lung cancer patients with serum CRP >0.3mg/dL. The subjects were categorized as either infection or non-infection group. Infection was verified by respiratory culture, blood culture and radiologic finding. Those who developed febrile neutropenia after chemotherapy and improved after antibiotic treatment were grouped as infection group (IG). Non-infection group (NG) comprised those who had drug fever or cancer fever.Results: A total number of measurement was 375 samples from 285 patients. PCT showed 2.28±5.81 μg/L in IG and 0.36±0.43 μg/L in NG (mean±standard deviation p<0.001). CRP showed 17.24±8.87 mg/dL in IG and 11.61±7.93 mg/dL in NG (p<0.001). In febrile patients, there was also significant differences of PCT (1.80±4.01 μg/L in IG, 0.24±0.31 μg/L in NG, p=.003) and CRP (17.88±8.62 mg/dL in IG, 13.11±7.96 mg/dL in NG, p=.004) levels. Area under curve of PCT was significantly larger (0.775, 95%CI 0.690-0.861) than CRP (0.646, 95%CI 0.540-0.753, p=.026). Sensitivity and specificity of PCT using cut off level of 0.21 μg/L was 73.8% and 59.1%.Conclusion: Serum PCT could be more helpful for differentiation of infectious from non-infectious causes of fever in lung cancer patients.