[Survey of relationship between serum procalcitonin and infectious diseases]

ABSTRACT

Procalcitonin is prohormone of calcitonin and is made 116 amino acids. The normal value of procalcitonin is less than 0.5 ng/ml, that if this amount exceeds, infection is indicated. This poly-peptide is a marker for the diagnosis of primary infection. Increased amounts of procalcitonin is associated with infection; especially bacterial infections. 32 patients with liver cirrhosis and 16 healthy controls enrolled in this study were. Serum PCT levels in these subjects was measured. PCT level was measured by semi-quantitative method. Patient group included 23 males and nine females with mean age of 45 years and SD= 17.44 years, the control group included 11 males and 5 females with mean age of 46 years and SD=15.5 years.The statistical analysis showed that there was significant difference between PCT levels in patients and controls [P<0.05].Furthermore PCT levels was significantly higher in cirrhotic patients with hepatitisec background. Since these patients had no symptoms of infection and were hospitalized for endoscopy test and the PCT test was positive in 78.1% of cirrhotic patients, whereas this ratio was 25% in the control group, the patients probably were infected and should be under proper treatment