Prognostic Implications of Procalcitonin and NT-ProBNP in Febrile Neutropenic Patients

Kim, Sun Young; Park, Yoo Ra; Choi, Kyung Vin; Lee, Young Ho

Abstract

PURPOSE
Procalcitonin and N-terminal brain natriuretic propeptide (NT-proBNP) has been increasingly used as an inflammatory marker to identify patients with systemic infection and future cardiac events. The aim of this study was to evaluate the levels of procalcitonin and NT-proBNP in febrile neutropenic patients in terms of predicting outcomes.
METHODS
From July 2008 and May 2009, acute leukemia and lymphoma patients undergoing chemotherapy with neutropenia were screened for procalcitonin, NT-proBNP at the time of admission, 3 days later and 3 days after fever was subsided.
RESULTS
A total of 32 patients aged between 2.5 and 13.5 years (17 boys and 15 girls) were admitted because of neutropenic fever at the Chungnam National University Hospital. Procalcitonin and NT-proBNP levels were not significantly different among 3 different times of measurements, but significantly correlated with each other. The levels of procalcitonin more than 0.5 ng/mL and NT-proBNP more than 300 pg/mL were associated with longer fever duration. Two patients with higher procalcitonin and NT-proBNP showed symptoms of heart failure and arrhythmia.
CONCLUSION
Our preliminary data indicate that procalcitonin and NT-proBNP might be useful markers for the severity of infection and cardiogenic shock, particularly in the setting of neutropenic fever.