A comparison of HMGB1 concentrations between cerebrospinal fluid and blood in patients with neurological disease

Aims: To determine whether a correlation exists between paired cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum levels of a novel inflammatory biomarker, high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), in different neurological conditions.

Methods: HMGB1 was measured in the serum and CSF of 46 neurological patients (18 idiopathic intracranial hypertension [IIH], 18 neurological infection/inflammation [NII] and 10 Rasmussen’s encephalitis [RE]).

Results: Mean serum (±?SD) HMGB1 levels were 1.43?±?0.54, 25.28?±?27.9 and 1.89?±?1.49?ng/ml for the patients with IIH, NII and RE, respectively. Corresponding mean (±?SD) CSF levels were 0.35?±?0.22, 4.48?±?6.56 and 2.24?±?2.35?ng/ml. Both CSF and serum HMGB1 was elevated in NII. Elevated CSF HMGB1 was demonstrated in RE. There was no direct correlation between CSF and serum levels of HMGB1.

Conclusion: Serum HMGB1 cannot be used as a surrogate measure for CSF levels. CSF HMGB1 was elevated in NII and RE, its role as a prognostic/stratification biomarker needs further study.     

Prognostic and diagnostic significance of mid-regional pro-atrial natriuretic peptide in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute heart failure: data from the ACE 2 Study

Abstract

Purpose: To compare the diagnostic and prognostic value of mid-regional pro-ANP (MR-proANP) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in patients with acute dyspnea.

Methods: MR-proANP and NT-proBNP were measured with commercial immunoassays at hospital admission (n?=?313), on day 2 (n?=?234), and before discharge (n?=?91) and compared for diagnosing acute heart failure (HF; n?=?143) and to predict mortality among patients with acute HF and acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD; n?=?84) separately.

Results: The correlation coefficient between MR-proANP and NT-proBNP was 0.89 (p?<?0.001) and the receiver-operating area under the curve (AUC) was 0.85 (95% CI 0.81–0.89) for MR-proANP and 0.86 (0.82–0.90) for NT-proBNP to diagnose acute HF. During a median follow-up of 816?days, mortality rates were 46% in acute HF patients and 42% in AECOPD patients. After adjustment for other risk variables by multivariate Cox regression analysis, MR-proANP and NT-proBNP concentrations were associated with mortality in patients with acute HF, but only MR-proANP were associated with mortality among patients with AECOPD: hazard ratio (_lnMR-proANP) 1.98 (95% CI 1.17–3.34).

Conclusion: MR-proANP and NT-proBNP concentrations provide similar diagnostic and prognostic information in patients with acute HF. In contrast to NT-proBNP, MR-proANP measurements also provided independent prognostic information in AECOPD patients.     

Diagnostic utility of MR-proANP and NT-proBNP in elderly outpatients with a high risk of heart failure: the Copenhagen heart failure risk study

Abstract

Background: Amino-terminal-pro-B-type-natriuretic-peptide (NT-proBNP) is a diagnostic biomarker for heart failure (HF), but plasma concentrations are influenced by numerous factors. Mid-regional-pro-atrial-natriuretic-peptide (MR-proANP) have comparable diagnostic value in acute HF. However, data are lacking in the non-acute setting. This study sought to assess the diagnostic utility of MR-proANP in outpatients with a high risk of HF.

Methods: This prospective study included 399 outpatients. Inclusion criteria were: age?≥?60?years, ≥1 risk factor for HF (diabetes, chronic kidney disease, vascular disease, atrial fibrillation, hypertension), without known or suspected HF. Unrecognized HF was diagnosed based on clinical signs, patient-reported symptoms and echocardiography. Plasma concentrations of MR-proANP and NT-proBNP were analysed.

Results: In total, 65 patients were diagnosed with HF or asymptomatic left ventricular systolic dysfunction (N?=?12 LVEF?≤?40%, N?=?7 LVEF?>?40% to ≤50%, N?=?46 LVEF?>?50%). Both MR-proANP (odds-ratio: 1.77; 95% CI:1.16–2.72; p?=?0.009) and NT-proBNP (odds-ratio: 1.49; 95% CI:1.22–1.82; p?<?0.001) were associated with HF. Area under receiver-operator characteristics curve (AUC) for the diagnosis of HF or asymptomatic left ventricular systolic dysfunction was higher for MR-proANP (AUC?=?0.886; p?<?0.001) and NT-proBNP (AUC?=?0.910; p?<?0.001) compared to patient-reported symptoms of HF (AUC?=?0.830), but NT-proBNP added more diagnostic information compared to MR-proANP (p?=?0.022).

Conclusions: Both NT-proBNP and MR-proANP are useful biomarkers in the diagnosis of HF or asymptomatic left ventricular systolic dysfunction in a non-acute setting. However, NT-proBNP added more diagnostic information compared to MR-proANP.     

Usefulness of serum neopterin levels in acute decompensated heart failure to predict renal dysfunction

Context: Neopterin serum concentration increases in the presence of renal dysfunction.

Objective: We sought to determine the relationship between admission serum neopterin levels and worsening renal function (WRF) in patients with heart failure (HF).

Methods: We prospectively measured serum neopterin levels in patients with HF and the patients were subdivided into two groups: with and without WRF during hospital admission.

Results: Logistic regression analysis showed that high serum neopterin levels at admission were associated with a greater likelihood of developing WRF.

Conclusions: Patients admitted to hospital with HF, elevated serum neopterin levels are associated with an increased risk of developing WRF.     

Effects of endogenous serum neuregulin-1β on morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure and left ventricular systolic dysfunction

Abstract

Context: Improved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) following administration of recombinant human Neuregulin-1β (NRG), epidermal growth factor (EGF) involved in cardiomyocyte repair/survival, has been observed in patients with systolic heart failure (HF).

Methods: Serum NRG was measured by ELISA in 248 patients with NYHA class I–IV HF.

Results: NRG exhibited a marginally significant effect on LVEF trajectory over 11?months (p?=?0.07). There is no apparent level of NRG that predicts improved survival.

Conclusions: There is a potential relationship between serum NRG and improved LVEF, indicating the need to investigate the utility of NRG in predicting HF outcomes, including LVEF maintenance.     

Association of galectin-3 with changes in left ventricular function in recent-onset dilated cardiomyopathy

Abstract

Background: The course of newly diagnosed dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) varies from persistent reduction of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) to recovery or even worsening. The aim of the present study was to examine the prognostic value of selected biomarkers with regard to changes in LVEF.

Methods: Main inclusion criterion was LVEF ≤45% with exclusion of coronary artery or valvular heart disease. The primary endpoint was LVEF ≤35% in the follow-up echocardiogram. Galectin-3, N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were related to the endpoint.

Results: Data from 80 DCM patients (55 male, mean age 53 years) were analyzed. Median LVEF was 25% (IQR 25–30). The endpoint was met for 24 patients (30%). These had higher baseline levels of galectin-3 (median 20.3?ng/mL [IQR 14.3–26.9] vs. 14.7?ng/mL [IQR 10.9–17.7], p?=?0.007) and NT-proBNP (3089?pg/mL [IQR 1731–6694] vs. 1498?pg/mL [IQR 775–3890]; p?=?0.004) in univariate Cox regression analysis. ROC analysis revealed that CRP (median 0.4?mg/dL [IQR 0.2–1.2]) was also related to the endpoint (p?=?0.043).

Conclusion: Higher levels of galectin-3, NT-proBNP, and CRP were associated with LVEF ≤35% in our cohort. An approach utilizing a combination of biomarkers for patient management should be assessed in further studies.     

Utilization of serum procalcitonin as a biomarker in the diagnosis and treatment of children with bacterial hospital-acquired pneumonia

Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) is one of the common infections in hospitalized patients. Early and prompt diagnosis of HAP is important because it aids in the appropriate selection of antibiotics and decreases the mortality and morbidity of patients. The investigation on serum procalcitonin (PCT) levels in pediatric patients is limited. Herein we aimed to evaluate the role of PCT in the early diagnosis of children with bacterial HAP. The study enrolled 264 children (<?14 years old) who were radiographically detected by pulmonary condensation chest X-rays. The HAP patients were stratified by patterns of microbiological detection of pathogens. Baseline white blood cell (WBC) count, neutrophil proportion, PCT, and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured on admission. The laboratory findings and microbiological findings were analyzed and compared among groups. The median PCT concentration of patients with typical bacterial pathogens (3.95?±?3.75 ng/mL) was significantly higher than the one of the patients with other pathogen types (median lower than 1.20 ng/mL). Correlation analysis indicated a significant correlation between PCT concentrations and the main inflammation makers including WBC count, neutrophil proportion, and CRP. PCT level was significantly decreased to 0.86?±?1.46 ng/mL in post-treatment patients (p?<?0.001). This cohort study with 264 pediatric HAP patients demonstrated the reliability of PCT level as a biomarker in patients with typical bacterial pathogens. Specifically, PCT cutoffs of 2 ng/mL accurately identified HAP children with typical bacterial pathogens. This finding suggested that PCT may serve as a reliable biomarker for the early diagnosis and treatment indicator of children with HAP.

     

内毒素、PCT联合NLR对经皮肾镜碎石术后患者尿源性脓毒血症的预测价值

摘要 目的：探讨内毒素、降钙素原（PCT）联合中性粒细胞与淋巴细胞比值（NLR）对经皮肾镜碎石术（PCNL）术后患者发生尿源性脓毒血症的预测价值。方法：选取2020年5月-2023年5月于西安医学院第二附属医院和空军军医大学第一附属医院泌尿外科行PCNL的患者750例作为研究对象。根据尿源性脓毒症发生情况分为尿源性脓毒血症组（n=45）和非脓毒血症组（n=705）。检测PCNL术前血清内毒素、PCT、中性粒细胞与淋巴细胞水平，并计算NLR。对比两组血清内毒素、PCT水平及NLR。采用多因素Logistic回归模型分析PCNL术后患者发生尿源性脓毒血症的影响因素。绘制受试者工作特征（ROC）曲线分析血清内毒素、PCT联合NLR预测PCNL术后患者发生尿源性脓毒血症的临床效能。结果：与非脓毒血症组相比，尿源性脓毒血症组血清内毒素、PCT及NLR更高（P<0.05）。多因素Logistic回归模型分析结果显示，血清内毒素升高、PCT升高、NLR升高、尿白细胞阳性、术前发热及鹿角型结石是PCNL术后患者发生尿源性脓毒血症的独立危险因素（P<0.05）；ROC曲线分析结果显示，血清内毒素、PCT联合NLR检测预测PCNL术后患者发生尿源性脓毒血症的曲线下面积（AUC）为0.913，高于上述各指标单独检测。结论：PCNL术前血清内毒素、PCT和NLR升高可能与术后患者发生尿源性脓毒血症有关。血清内毒素、PCT水平升高、NLR升高、术前发热、尿白细胞阳性、鹿角型结石是PCNL术后患者发生尿源性脓毒血症的危险因素。血清内毒素、PCT联合NLR检测对PCNL术后患者发生尿源性脓毒血症具有较高预测价值。     

Copeptin levels are independent of ingested nutrient type after standardised meal administration – the CoMEAL study

Abstract

Context/objective: To clarify ambiguous published data, we determined whether standardized nutrient intake influences serum copeptin concentrations.

Materials/methods: Thirty healthy volunteers underwent oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT) and mixed-meal tolerance testing (MMTT), respectively drinking 300?ml/237?ml of glucose-containing or fat/protein/carbohydrate-containing fluid. Copeptin was measured 30?min pre-(“baseline”)–180?min post-fluid intake.

Results: Median [25th–75th percentile] copeptin fell from 4.9 [3.6–8.3]/4.9 [3.6–7.1] pmol/l at OGTT/MMTT baselines to 3.2 (2.8–5.9)/4.1 (2.7–6.1) pmol/l at post-OGTT/post-MMTT nadirs (150?min/120?min; p?<?0.001, linear mixed-effect modeling).

Discussion/conclusions: Regardless of nutrient type ingested, copeptin did not increase, suggesting values can be interpreted independently of prandial status.     

Vitamin D,Parathyroid Hormone,and Heart Failure in A Chinese Elderly Population

ObjectiveHeart failure (HF) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Low vitamin D status has been shown to be associated with increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease. In this study, we examined the association between vitamin D and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels and HF in and elderly population in China.MethodsA population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the spring of 2013 among 2,047 community-dwelling healthy individuals, aged 60 to 101 years. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) was measured using a chemiluminescence assay. PTH levels were measured with an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay.ResultsA total of 2,047 participants, including 1,121 women (54.7%), were evaluated in 2013. The median concentrations of serum 25(OH)D and PTH for the entire group were 16.1 ng/mL and 41.5 pg/mL, respectively. Serum 25(OH)D and PTH levels were associated with serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels and left ventricular ejection fraction in a multivariate adjusted linear regression analysis (P < .05). In logistic regression analyses, serum 25(OH)D and PTH levels were associated with a risk of HF in single and multiple regression models (P < .05). Compared with patients with 25(OH)D levels between 30.0 and 44.9 ng/mL, patients with 25(OH)D levels less than 10 ng/mL had a higher mean hazard ratio for HF (2.88; 95% confidence interval, 1.59 to 4.38).ConclusionSerum 25(OH)D and PTH levels are independently associated with risk of HF in a Chinese elderly population. (Endocr Pract. 2014;21:30-40)     

YKL-40 in patients with end-stage renal disease receiving haemodialysis

Purpose: This study aimed to determine serum YKL-40 in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on haemodialysis (HD) and to evaluate the prognostic value of serum YKL-40.

Methods: Patients >18?years on maintenance HD were included. Serum YKL-40 was measured using ELISA before and after a single HD treatment.

Results: A total of 306 patients were included. Median serum YKL-40 concentration was 238?µgL^?1 (IQR: 193–291?µgL^?1) before HD treatment and 198?µgL^?1 (IQR: 147–258?µgL^?1) after HD treatment, which corresponded to age-corrected 93th percentile in healthy subjects. All-cause mortality after 2.8?years was 35.9%. Patients with serum YKL-40 in the highest quartile compared with the lowest quartile had a univariate HR of 4.0 (95% CI: 2.2–7.3, p?p?=?0.01) in multivariate analysis. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves showed that serum YKL-40 after HD treatment had significant higher area under the curves from 90?d (p?=?0.004) and throughout the rest of the follow-up period when compared to serum YKL-40 before HD treatment.

Conclusion: YKL-40 was highly elevated in patients with ESRD on HD, and dialysis reduced serum YKL-40 concentrations approximately one-sixth. YKL-40 measured after dialysis was independently associated with mortality in HD patients.     

NTproBNP and ST2 as predictors for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in elderly patients with symptoms suggestive for heart failure

Background: A new biomarker, suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (ST2) has been introduced as a marker for fibrosis and hypertrophy. Its clinical value in comparison with N-terminal pro-hormone of brain natriuretic peptide /Amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) in predicting mortality in elderly patients with symptoms of heart failure (HF) is still unclear.

Aim: To evaluate the prognostic value for all-cause- and cardiovascular mortality of ST2 or NTproBNP and the combination of these biomarkers.

Patients and methods: One hundred seventy patients patients with clinical symptoms of HF (77 (45%) were with verified HF) were recruited from one selected primary health care center (PHC) in Sweden and echocardiography was performed in all patients. Blood samples were obtained from 159 patients and stored frozen at –70?°C. NTproBNP was analyzed at a central core laboratory using a clinically available immunoassay.ST2 was analyzed with Critical Diagnostics Presage ST2 ELISA immunoassay.

Results: We studied 159 patients (mean age 77?±?8.3?years, 70% women). During ten years of follow up 78 patients had died, out of which 50 deaths were for cardiovascular reasons. Continuous NTproBNP and ST2 were both significantly associated with all-cause mortality (1.0001; 1.00001–1.0002, p?=?0.04 and 1.03; 1.003–1.06, p?=?0.03), NTproBNP but not ST2 remained significant for cardiovascular mortality after adjustments (1.0001; 1.00001–1.0002, p?=?0.03 and 1.01; 0.77–1.06, p?=?0.53), respectively. NTproBNP above median (>328?ng/L) compared to below median was significantly associated with all-cause mortality(HR: 4.0; CI :2.46–6.61; p?p?Conclusion: In elderly patients with symptoms of heart failure ST2 was not superior to NTproBNP to predict all cause or cardiovascular mortality. Furthermore, it is unclear if the combination of ST2 and NTproBNP will improve long-term prognostication beyond what is achieved by NTproBNP alone.     

糖尿病合并尿路感染患者尿液降钙素原水平及其临床意义

目的:探讨糖尿病合并尿路感染患者尿液降钙素原(PCT)水平及其临床意义。方法:选取2017年8月至2018年12月中山大学附属第五医院内分泌与代谢病科收治的糖尿病患者78例,以其中合并真性细菌尿者39例作为观察组,未合并尿路感染39例作为对照组,比较两组患者的临床资料以及相关实验室检查结果,同时留取尿液标本,观察组分别留取使用抗生素治疗前、后的尿液标本。采用酶联免疫吸附测定(ELISA)法检测尿液PCT浓度。分别比较观察组与对照组以及观察组治疗前后的尿液PCT水平,分析尿液PCT水平对于诊断糖尿病合并尿路感染的临床价值。结果:观察组尿液PCT水平为0.030 (0.025,0.039) ng/m L,明显高于对照组0.017 (0.011,0.021) ng/m L(P0.05);观察组有症状尿路感染与无症状细菌尿(ABU)的尿液PCT水平比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05),但其均显著高于对照组(P0.05);观察组使用抗生素治疗后的尿液PCT水平为0.031 (0.025,0.040) ng/mL,与治疗前相比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。尿液PCT对糖尿病合并尿路感染诊断的敏感度为82.05%,特异度为79.49%,阳性预测值为80.00%,阴性预测值81.58%,ROC曲线下面积为0.81 (95%CI为0.71-0.89, P0.0001)。结论:尿液PCT水平对糖尿病合并尿路感染有一定的诊断参考价值,但对于抗生素疗效的评估价值还需进一步深入研究。     

Prognostic value of PCT,copeptin, MR-proADM,MR-proANP and CT-proET-1 for severe acute dyspnea in the emergency department: the BIODINER study

Context: Acute dyspnea is a frequent complaint in patients attending the emergency department (ED).

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of PCT, MR-proANP, MR-proADM, copeptin and CT-proET1 for the risk-stratification of severe acute dyspnea patients presenting to the ED.

Methods: Multicenter prospective study in adult patients with a chief complaint of acute dyspnea. Pro-hormone type biomarkers concentrations were measured on arrival. Combined primary endpoint was a poor outcome.

Results: Three hundred and ninety-four patients were included, 137 (35%) met the primary endpoint. MR-proADM was the only biomarker associated with the primary endpoint (odds ratio 1.43 [95%CI: 1.13–1.82], p?=?0.003) as were the presence of paradoxical abdominal breathing (odds ratio 2.48 [95%CI: 1.31–4.68]) or cyanosis (odds ratio 3.18 [1.46–6.89])

Conclusions: In patients with severe acute dyspnea in the ED, pro-hormone type biomarkers measurements have a low added value to clinical signs for the prediction of poor outcome.     

Prospective Evaluation of Procalcitonin,Soluble Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells-1 and C-Reactive Protein in Febrile Patients with Autoimmune Diseases

BackgroundBoth procalcitonin (PCT) and soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (sTREM-1) have been investigated separately as indicators of infection in patients with autoimmune diseases. Our study simultaneously evaluated both PCT and sTREM-1 along with C-reactive protein (CRP) in febrile patients with autoimmune diseases.MethodsFifty-nine patients were enrolled in the study. The patients were categorized into the infection group (n = 24) or the disease flare group (n = 35). sTREM-1, PCT and CRP concentrations at fever onset were compared between the two groups of patients.ResultssTREM-1 and CRP did not differ between the two groups. PCT [median (range), ng/ml] was higher in the infection group than in the disease flare group [0.53 (0.02–12.85) vs. 0.12 (0.02–19.23), p = 0.001]. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) for diagnosis of infection was 0.75 for PCT (p = 0.001), 0.63 for CRP (p = 0.09) and 0.52 for sTREM-1 (p = 0.79). Using 0.2 ng/ml as the cutoff value for PCT, sensitivity was 0.75 and specificity was 0.77. Negative predictive values for PCT were 92%, 87% and 82% for a prevalence of infection of 20%, 30%, and 40%, respectively. Neither immunosuppressants nor biomodulators affected the level of the three biomarkers. However, in patients treated with corticosteroids, the levels of sTREM-1 and CRP were significantly decreased compared with the untreated patients.ConclusionsSetting PCT at a lower cutoff value could provide useful information on excluding infection in febrile patients with autoimmune diseases. The possible effect of corticosteroids on the level of sTREM-1 as an infection marker deserves further study.     

慢性肺源性心脏病患者血清白细胞介素-6、降钙素原、D-二聚体、N端B型脑钠肽前体与心功能分级和预后的关系研究

摘要 目的：探讨慢性肺源性心脏病（CCP）患者血清白细胞介素-6（IL-6）、降钙素原（PCT）、D-二聚体（D-D）、N端B型脑钠肽前体（NT-proBNP）与心功能分级和预后的关系。方法：选取2020年1月～2021年5月合肥市第一人民医院全科医学科及呼吸与危重症科收治的170例CCP患者（CCP组）,其中纽约心脏协会（NYHA）心功能分级Ⅱ级49例、Ⅲ级66例、Ⅳ级55例,根据1年后存活状况分为死亡组26例和存活组144例,另选取同期54名体检健康者（对照组）。收集CCP患者临床资料,采用酶联免疫吸附法检测血清IL-6、PCT、D-D、NT-proBNP水平。通过多因素Logistic回归分析CCP患者预后不良的影响因素,受试者工作特征（ROC）曲线分析血清IL-6、PCT、D-D、NT-proBNP水平对CCP患者预后不良的预测价值。结果：与对照组比较,CCP组血清IL-6、PCT、D-D、NT-proBNP水平升高（P＜0.05）。Ⅱ级、Ⅲ级、Ⅳ级CCP患者血清IL-6、PCT、D-D、NT-proBNP水平依次升高（P＜0.05）。单因素分析显示,死亡组NYHA心功能分级Ⅳ级、肺动脉收缩压、Tie指数和血清IL-6、PCT、D-D、NT-proBNP水平高于存活组,第1秒用力呼气容积（FEV₁）占预计值％、FEV₁/用力肺活量（FVC）、三尖瓣环收缩期位移低于存活组（P＜0.05）。多因素Logistic回归分析显示,NYHA心功能分级Ⅳ级和肺动脉收缩压、IL-6、PCT、D-D、NT-proBNP升高为CCP患者预后不良的独立危险因素,FEV1占预计值％升高为独立保护因素（P＜0.05）。ROC曲线分析显示,血清IL-6、PCT、D-D、NT-proBNP水平单独与联合预测CCP患者预后不良的曲线下面积分别为0.789、0.789、0.792、0.801、0.954,灵敏度分别为93.33％、66.67％、66.67％、86.67％、86.67％,特异度分别为46.67％、82.67％、85.33％、66.67％、94.67％。血清IL-6、PCT、D-D、NT-proBNP水平联合预测CCP患者预后不良的AUC大于单项预测（P＜0.05）。结论：CCP患者血清IL-6、PCT、D-D、NT-proBNP水平升高可增加心功能严重程度并导致预后不良,可作为CCP患者预后不良的辅助预测指标,且四项指标联合检测具有更好的预测效能。     

Procalcitonin Identifies Cell Injury,Not Bacterial Infection,in Acute Liver Failure

Background

Because acute liver failure (ALF) patients share many clinical features with severe sepsis and septic shock, identifying bacterial infection clinically in ALF patients is challenging. Procalcitonin (PCT) has proven to be a useful marker in detecting bacterial infection. We sought to determine whether PCT discriminated between presence and absence of infection in patients with ALF.

Method

Retrospective analysis of data and samples of 115 ALF patients from the United States Acute Liver Failure Study Group randomly selected from 1863 patients were classified for disease severity and ALF etiology. Twenty uninfected chronic liver disease (CLD) subjects served as controls.

Results

Procalcitonin concentrations in most samples were elevated, with median values for all ALF groups near or above a 2.0 ng/mL cut-off that generally indicates severe sepsis. While PCT concentrations increased somewhat with apparent liver injury severity, there were no differences in PCT levels between the pre-defined severity groups–non-SIRS and SIRS groups with no documented infections and Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock groups with documented infections, (p = 0.169). PCT values from CLD patients differed from all ALF groups (median CLD PCT value 0.104 ng/mL, (p ≤0.001)). Subjects with acetaminophen (APAP) toxicity, many without evidence of infection, demonstrated median PCT >2.0 ng/mL, regardless of SIRS features, while some culture positive subjects had PCT values <2.0 ng/mL.

Summary/Conclusions

While PCT appears to be a robust assay for detecting bacterial infection in the general population, there was poor discrimination between ALF patients with or without bacterial infection presumably because of the massive inflammation observed. Severe hepatocyte necrosis with inflammation results in elevated PCT levels, rendering this biomarker unreliable in the ALF setting.     

The influence of heart failure co-morbidity on high-sensitivity troponin T levels in COPD exacerbation in a prospective cohort study: data from the Akershus cardiac examination (ACE) 2 study

Context: Troponin (hs-TnT) levels predict mortality after acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD). Whether this is independent of heart failure (HF) is not established.

Material and methods: Prospectively included AECOPD patients adjudicated for acute HF categorized into three groups: (A) AECOPD, but acute HF the primary cause for hospitalization; (B) AECOPD the primary cause, but co-existing myocardial dysfunction and (C) AECOPD without myocardial dysfunction.

Results: About 103 AECOPD patients; 18% A, 27% B and 54% C. Hs-TnT level differed between the groups: (ng/l, median) A: 41, B: 25 and C: 15, p?=?0.03 for A versus B and p?=?0.005 for B versus C. During a median 826 days, 47% died. In Cox analysis, hs-TnT levels remained associated with mortality (hazard ratio per 10?ng/l 1.3, p?<?0.0001).

Conclusion: hs-TnT levels are influenced by myocardial dysfunction/HF in AECOPD, but provide independent prognostic information. The prognostic merit of hs-TnT cannot be attributed to HF alone.