The detection of bacterial infections in leukemia patients using procalcitionin levels

Abstract

Bacteremic infections are the most common complications in patients with leukemia. This study aimed to assess the value of procalctionin levels in the detection of bacterial infections in leukemia patients. Blood samples of in-patients with leukemia were collected. Statistical analysis was performed to assess the correlation between the procalcitionin level on the day of the first positive blood culture and bacteremic infection. Infected patients had significantly higher procalctionin levels than uninfected patients (p < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed a high level of accuracy regarding the discrimination of bacterarmic infection (area under the curve, 0.883) and Gram-negative bateremia (area under the curve, 0.779). Procalctionin levels may help in the identification of bacterial infections in leukemia patients. Further multicentre studies are needed to verify our data regarding the use of procalctionin to distinguish between Gram-positive and Gram-negative infections.

Keywords:

• Procalcitonin
• bacterial infections
• leukemia

Author contributions

Jun-Xu Gu, Na Zhang, Mei Jia: the conception and design of the study. Shan-Shan Li,Ai-Min Zhang, Yue Yin, Yi-Fan Li: acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation of data. Jun-Xu Gu, Na Zhang, Mei Jia: drafting the article and revising it critically for important intellectual content. Jun-Xu Gu, Mei Jia: final approval of the version to be submitted.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Beijing Science and Technology Plan (Z181100001718156) to Mei Jia.