Objective The objective of this paper is to investigate the utility of serum procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) as markers of infection in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. Patients and methods Sixty-nine SLE patients with symptoms and signs of infection proved by culture and/or a favorable response to antibiotics and 69 SLE patients without infection were included. Serum PCT and plasma high-sensitivity CRP were assessed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results SLE patients with infection had a significantly higher level of CRP than those without infection ((median (IQR) 104.5 (25.5-100.9) and 10.3 (5.4-23.1) mg/l, respectively), p<0.001). Conclusion Serum PCT could not differentiate SLE patients with or without bacterial infection in this study, while the utility of CRP as a marker of infection has been confirmed.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.