We studied the predictive value of cord blood procalcitonin (PCT) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the diagnosis of early-onset sepsis (EOS) in the preterm infant. Retrospectively, PCT and IL-6 were correlated with clinical and/or blood culture positive EOS and negative infectious status between February 2008 and March 2011. Receiver operating curves (ROC) were generated and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated by use of Youden's Index to detect the best cut-off values for sensitivity and specificity. Thirty of 218 preterm infants (13.8%) were diagnosed as having EOS. The optimal cut-off value for PCT was 0.235 μg/L (sensitivity 78.6%, specificity 86.3%), and for IL-6 15.85 ng/L (sensitivity 73.7%, specificity 84.2%), the combination of PCT and IL-6 revealed sensitivity 77.1% and specificity 91.7%. The combined determination of PCT and IL-6 from cord blood was highly sensitive and specific in the prediction of EOS.
Resting heart rate (RHR) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular
morbidity and mortality. Thyroid hormones exert several effects on the
cardiovascular system, but the relation between thyroid function and RHR remains
to be further established. We evaluated whether measures of thyroid hormone
status are associated with RHR in patients referred to coronary angiography.
Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxin
(FT4), and RHR were determined in 2795 participants of the Ludwigshafen Risk and
Cardiovascular Health (LURIC) Study. Median (25th to 75th percentile) serum
concentrations were 1.25 (0.76–1.92) mU/l for TSH, 4.8
(4.2–5.3) pmol/l for FT3 and 17.1
(15.4-19.0) pmol/l for FT4, and mean (±standard
deviation) RHR was 68.8 (±11.7) beats/min. Comparing the highest
versus the lowest quartile, RHR (beats/min) was significantly higher in
the fourth FT4 quartile [3.48, 95% confidence interval (CI):
2.23–4.73; p <0.001] and in the fourth FT3 quartile (2.30,
95% CI: 1.06–3.55; p <0.001), but there was no
significant difference for TSH quartiles. In multiple linear regression analyses
adjusting for various potential confounders, FT3 and FT4 were significant
predictors of RHR (p <0.001 for both). In subgroups restricted to TSH,
FT3, and FT4 values within the reference range, both FT3 and FT4 remained
significant predictors of RHR (p <0.001 for all). In conclusion, in
patients referred to coronary angiography, FT3 and FT4 but not TSH were
positively associated with RHR. The relationship between free thyroid hormones
and RHR warrants further investigations regarding its diagnostic and therapeutic
implications.
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.