Freie Universiẗat, Diss., 2001--Berlin. / Dateiformat: zip, Dateien im PDF-Format.

The Master thesis gives an overview of sepsis, its causes, manifestation and diagnostics. The role of procalcitonin as a sepsis marker is dicussed. In the experimental part, case records of 106 were examined and the determination of procalcitonin as a sepsis marker was evaluated. Based on the evaluation, a recommendation about timing of the procalcitonin level analyses with septic patients were made.

Ulm, Univ., Diss., 2001.

An der Klinik und Poliklinik für Thorax-, Herz-, und Thorakale Gefäßchirurgie der Universität Würzburg wurden im Zeitraum vom Mai 2012 bis Juli 2013, bei 688 konsekutiv behandelten kardiochirurgischen Patienten, klinisch relevante Entzündungsparameter prä- und postoperativ nach dem Studienprotokoll erhoben (Procalcitonin, C-reaktives Protein, Leukozyten, Fibrinogen und Thrombozytenanzahl). Primärer Endpunkt war die Entwicklung einer postoperativen noskomialen Infektion. Diese Studie bestätigt die Kinetik des Procalcitonins und des C-reaktiven Proteins. Ein Anstieg auf das Maximum erfolgt beim PCT bereits 24 Stunden nach dem operativen Eingriff und beim CRP bis zum 3. postoperativen Tag. Die Kinetik des Anstiegs war schneller bei Patienten, die im weiteren Verlauf eine nosokomiale Infektion entwickelten. Als Cut-off Wert für die Diagnose einer Infektion wird am 3. POD ein PCT- Werte ab 1,67ng/ml gewertet. Der 3. postoperative Tag ist der Tag, an dem das Procalcitonin die höchste Sensitivität (61,7%) und Spezifität (60%) erreicht. Die Ergebnisse dieser Studie legen nahe, dass der hohe Stellenwert, den das Procalcitonin heute genießt nicht ungerechtfertigt ist, die Anwendung jedoch nur im Zusammenhang mit einem klinischen Assessment des Patienten sinnvoll ist, zum Beispiel mithilfe des SOFA-Scores. Das Procalcitonin hat in dieser Studie einen Negativ-prädiktiven Wert von 88,8% bei einem Cut-off Wert von 1,62ng/ml. Das Procalcitonin eignet sich zum Ausschluss von Infektionen. / In the Clinic and polyclinik for thoracic, cardiac, and thoracovascular surgery of the University of Würzburg 688 consecutive patients have been analyzed in the time between May 2012 and July 2013. During this period clinically relevant inflammatory parameters have been collected (procalcitonin (PCT), c-reactive protein (CRP), white bloodcellcount (WBC), fibrinogen and platelet count). Primary endpoint was the development of a postoperative nosocomial infection. This study can confirm the kinetics of procalcitonin and c-reactive protein. The highest levels of PCT are reached within 24h after the intervention, whereas the CRP values reach their apex on the third postoperative day (POD). The kinetics of PCT raising where faster in patients the would later on evelop a nosocomial infection. As a cut-off value for diagnosing a nosocomial infection with PCT we suggest a PCT-value of 1,67ng/ml. During the 3. POD this value reachest the highest sensitivity (61,7%) and the highest specificity (60%). The results of this study suggest, that the high value that the Procalcitonin holds today is not unjustified, although the implementation in the day to day use should only occur while combining it with a clinical assessment of the patient, for example using the SOFA-score. PCT had a Negative-predicitve-Value of 88,8% at a cut-off value of 1,62ng/ml. PCT is therefore suitable to exclude infections.

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Infections in patients with acute liver failure (ALF) and acute liver injury (ALI) are a frequent occurrence. Because ALF and ALI patients share many of the same clinical features as patients with severe sepsis and septic shock, identifying an infection based upon clinical manifestations is extremely difficult. Bacterial culture and sensitivity reports require 24 to 72 hours to be finalized after the need for a culture is suspected and obtained. During this time period, ALF and ALI patients are either not receiving required antibiotic therapy, receiving antibiotic therapy that is not required or not appropriate for the infecting bacterial pathogen, or receiving the correct antibiotic prophylaxis. Receiving an antibiotic that is not needed or inappropriate adds another level of complexity to the ALF and ALI patients because antibiotics may exacerbate liver dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to determine the utility of serum procalcitonin concentrations (SPCTC) as a biomarker of bacterial infections in patients with acute liver failure (ALF) and acute liver injury (ALI). This three part study measured SPCTC retrospectively on samples from ALF and ALI patients who were prospectively enrolled in the United States Acute Liver Failure Study Group (USALFSG) ALF and ALI studies. In the first part of the study, subjects were categorized according to how many SIRS continuum components they had and whether there was a documented infection. In the second part, serial samples on subjects who developed infections were identified. And, in the third part, serial samples on subjects diagnosed with infection on day one of the study and categorized based upon transplant free survival (TFS) or death and/or liver transplant (DoT) were identified. Procalcitonin was not found to be useful in identifying infection in the ALF and ALI patient populations. A cut-off for indication of infection was calculated to be 1.62 ng/mL using receiver operator curve (ROC) analysis. Despite the fact that there was an overall increase in SPCTC as the severity of illness increased in patients with a documented infection, there were confounding variables including antibiotic use, missing data, and small sample size that may have contributed to the poor sensitivity and specificity (0.643 and 0.620 respectively) calculated as part of the ROC analysis. SPCTC values appeared to be increased in subject with acetaminophen (APAP) toxicity and may have affected the cut-off, sensitivity, and specificity results. Increased SPCTC values were seen in APAP subjects who did not have a documented infection. It is unknown at this time if the SPCTC were increase due to liver damage, an undiagnosed infection, or as a result of increase cytokine production due to the APAP toxicity. Serial PCT concentrations in patients who achieved TFS showed a greater decrease over time than those of patients who died or received a liver transplant, however, the TFS group contained a large portion of APAP subjects. Further prospective studies are needed to determine the extent of interference with SPCTC in patients with APAP toxicity and to better define the PCT concentration cut-off between infection and no infection in the ALF and ALI populations.

Sepse bacteriana é a maior causa de morbimortalidade na faixa etária pediátrica e neonatal. A detecção precoce do quadro séptico é difícil, devido os sinais iniciais da doença serem inespecíficos. A possibilidade da existência de exame laboratorial capaz de identificar precocemente quadros sépticos melhoraria o prognóstico desses pacientes. Várias proteínas de fase aguda foram estudadas como marcadores de infecção sendo a proteína C reativa (PCR) a mais utilizada. A procalcitonina (PCT), um pró-hormônio, encontra-se elevado precocemente em quadros sépticos em crianças e adultos. Estudo prospectivo com 14 crianças submetidas à cirurgia cardíaca com circulação extra-corpórea (CEC), com dosagens seriadas de procalcitonina e proteína C reativa, serviram como modelo de resposta inflamatória sistêmica sem infecção com dosagens antes da CEC, após a CEC no primeiro, segundo e terceiro dia após cirurgia, enquanto 14 crianças com sepse/choque séptico dosagens seriadas de PCT e PCR foram obtidas sequencialmente antes do tratamento antibioticoterápico e a cada dia até o terceiro dia. Em crianças sépticas a PCT demonstrou ser superior a PCR como marcador de sepse assim como para diferenciar quadros inflamatórios sistêmicos. / Bacterial sepsis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in neonates and children. Early detection of bacterial sepsis is difficult because the first signs of this disease may be minimal or nonspecific. The availability of a laboratory test to accurately and rapidly identify septic neonates and children would be of great value in improving the outcome of these patients. Several acute-phase proteins have been used for the diagnosis of bacterial sepsis and C reactive protein (CRP) is the usual marker. It has been reported that the concentration of procalcitonin (PCT), a pro-hormone, is markedly higher in children and adults with sepsis. In a prospective study, 14 children were enrolled after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), these group represent the non infected children with inflammatory response. Blood samples were obtained before CPB, after CPB, on the first, second and third day after surgery. Another group with 14 children with sepsis or septic shock were enrolled, and blood samples were obtained before antibiotic start, on the first, second and third days. In septic children PCT concentration is a better diagnostic marker of sepsis and to differentiate inflammatory response than CRP.

Sepse é um importante problema de saúde pública, uma vez que seu tratamento gera altos custos a um sistema de saúde já sobrecarregado. É uma síndrome de alta mortalidade e morbidade que afeta, em geral, pacientes jovens com plena capacidade produtiva. A identificação e o tratamento precoce desta síndrome reduzem a morbimortalidade, assim como o custo. A proteína C reativa (PCR) e a procalcitonina (PCT) são bem estudadas como ferramentas para diagnóstico de infecção bacteriana em imunocompetentes, mas seu uso como ferramenta diagnóstica ainda não está estabelecido em pacientes imunossuprimidos. Portanto, a proposta deste estudo é avaliar a acurácia diagnóstica destes biomarcadores, em pacientes críticos imunossuprimidos (vírus da imunodeficiência adquirida  HIV positivos, portadores de tuberculose (TBC), cirróticos e transplantados). Como o uso da proteína C ainda não está estabelecido, a primeira questão de pesquisa investigou seu potencial diagnóstico quando comparado ao teste padrão (cultural). O segundo artigo comparou a PCR com a PCT. Para isto foram realizados dois artigos de revisão sistemática com metanálise. O primeiro artigo comparou a acurácia em determinar infecção bacteriana em imunossuprimidos da PCR ao teste padrão-ouro (as culturas). A primeira revisão incluiu 1.418 pacientes e demonstrou uma boa acurácia da PCR como biomarcador no diagnóstico de infecção bacteriana, apresentando sensibilidade de 69% e especificidade de 76% com uma área sob a curva (AUC) de 0,77. Os resultados encontrados são similares aos da literatura para imunocompetentes,(3) sensibilidade de 75%, especificidade de 67% e Área Sob a Curva Receiver Operating Characteristic (AUROC) de 0,92. Quando a PCT foi comparada com a PCR, ambos os biomarcadores mostraram acurácia moderada na utilização como ferrramenta de diagnóstico de infecção bacteriana, com um diagnóstico da razão de chances (DOR) de 7,24 (95% CI (2,83-14,60) para PCT e de 5,56 (95% CI (5,21-10,30) para PCR. A PCT e a PCR apresentaram sensibilidade de 69% e 68% e uma especificidade de 75% e 71%, respectivamente. Ambas mostraram resultados semelhantes, podendo ser utilizadas no diagnóstico de sepse em imunossupressos. / Sepsis is a major public health problem, since its treatment generates high costs, a health system already overburdened. A high mortality and morbidity syndrome affects, in general, young patients with full production capacity. The identification and early treatment of this syndrome reduce morbidity and mortality as well as the cost. C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) are well studied as tools for diagnosis of bacterial infection in immunocompetent patients, but its use as a diagnostic tool is not yet established in immunocompromised patients. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of these biomarkers in immunosuppresses critical patients (human immunodeficiency virus, cirrhotic and transplant). As the use of the c protein is not yet established, the first research question investigated their diagnostic potential when compared to the pattern (cultural). The second article compared to CRP and PCT. For this, there were two articles of a systematic review and meta-analysis. The first article compared the accuracy in determining bacterial infection in immunosuppresses of CRP to the gold standard (cultures). Our first review included 1,418 patients and showed good accuracy of CRP as a biomarker for the diagnosis of bacterial infection presenting a sensibility of 69% and 76% specificity with an area under the curve (AUC) 0.77. The results are similar to those found in the literature for immunocompetent,(3) sensitivity 75%, specificity of 67% and Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUROC): 0.92. When the PCT was compared with PCR, both biomarkers showed a moderately accurate for use as tool diagnostic bacterial infection with a Odds ratio diagnostic (DOR) 7.24 (95% CI (2.83-14.60) and PCT to 5:56 (95% CI (5.21-10.30) for CRP. the PCT and CRP had a sensitivity of 69% and 68% and a specificity of 75% and 71%, respectively. Both showed similar results may be used in the diagnosis of sepsis in immunosuppression.