Korean J Pediatr Infect Dis.  2010 Dec;17(2):108-113.

Clinical Availability of Serum Procalcitonin in Children with Bacterical Infection

• Noe EJ
• Lee SY
• Lee KM
• Kim KN

Abstract

PURPOSE
The aim of this study was to identify clinical availability of serum procalcitonin (PCT) compared with C-reactive protein (CRP) in prediction of bacterial infection in children.
METHODS
A retrospective study was conducted with children who had been admitted to the Department of Pediatrics with bacterial and viral infection between April 2008 and March 2009 and children who were admitted with Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) between August 2007 and July 2009. Serum PCT levels were measured using an enzyme-linked fluorescent assay.
RESULTS
The study population included 10 patients with bacterial infection (group I), 69 with viral infection (group II), and 35 with JRA (group III). Mean PCT levels were significantly higher in group I than in group II or group III (P<0.05). Mean CRP levels were significantly higher in group I than in group II (P<0.05); however, mean CRP levels were not significantly higher in group I than in group III (P>0.05). Using a cutoff of 0.5 ng/mL for PCT and 8 mg/L for CRP, sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing between group I and the other groups were 60.0% and 92.3% for PCT and 60.0% and 40.1% for CRP, respectively. Positive and negative predictive values were 42.9% and 96.0% for PCT and 10.0% and 92.6% for CRP, respectively.
CONCLUSION
Measurement of PCT concentrations appears to be more useful than CRP for distinguishing between bacterial infection and non-bacterial diseases in children.

Keyword

Procalcitonin; C-reactive protein; Bacterial infection

MeSH Terms

Arthritis, Juvenile Rheumatoid
Bacterial Infections
C-Reactive Protein
Calcitonin
Child
Humans
Pediatrics
Protein Precursors
Retrospective Studies
Sensitivity and Specificity
C-Reactive Protein
Calcitonin
Protein Precursors