9011. Procalcitonin

Procalcitonin is an acute-phase protein. It is used in the diagnosis of sepsis, acute pancreatitis, postpartum fever, and postoperative infectious complications. Procalcitonin levels should be evaluated in conjunction with C-reactive protein (CRP), a complete blood count (CBC) with differential, and a urinalysis.

Procalcitonin is an inactive precursor of calcitonin. Under normal conditions, it is produced by thyroid gland cells under the influence of calcium-dependent factors.
In healthy individuals, procalcitonin is converted into calcitonin and is virtually undetectable in the bloodstream.

In severe infections and sepsis, due to endotoxins and increased levels of inflammatory cytokines, procalcitonin begins to be produced by thyroid gland cells, leukocytes, monocytes, and cells of the lungs, intestines, and liver.

This results in a rapid increase in blood procalcitonin levels (within 6-12 hours after the onset of infection), while calcitonin levels remain unchanged. The half-life of procalcitonin is 25-30 hours, making it a useful marker for monitoring the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy.

Recommended for:

• severe, prolonged infections with a risk of developing sepsis;
• suspected sepsis;
• postoperative fever;
• postpartum fever;
• neonatal sepsis;
• acute pancreatitis for the differential diagnosis of sterile and infected pancreatic necrosis;
• the differential diagnosis of fever of unknown origin.

For monitoring the patient's condition, evaluating treatment effectiveness, and assessing prognosis in severe sepsis or severe bacterial infections.

• Venous blood

In order to exclude factors that may affect the test results, we recommend to follow the preparation rules: