BackgroundPentraxin-3 (PTX-3) is an acute-phase protein involved in inflammatory and infectious processes. This study assesses its diagnostic and prognostic value in patients with sepsis or septic shock in a medical intensive care unit (ICU).MethodsThe study includes 213 ICU patients with clinical criteria of sepsis and septic shock. 77 donors served as controls. Plasma levels of PTX-3, procalcitonin (PCT) and interleukin-6 were measured on day 1, 3 and 8.ResultsPTX-3 correlated with higher lactate levels as well as with APACHE II and SOFA scores (p = 0.0001). PTX-3 levels of patients with sepsis or septic shock were consistently significantly higher than in the control group (p ≤ 0.001). Plasma levels were able to discriminate sepsis and septic shock significantly on day 1, 3 and 8 (range of AUC 0.73–0.92, p = 0.0001). Uniform cut-off levels were defined at ≥5 ng/ml for at least sepsis, ≥9 ng/ml for septic shock (p = 0.0001).ConclusionPTX-3 reveals diagnostic value for sepsis and septic shock during the first week of intensive care treatment, comparable to interleukin-6 according to latest Sepsis-3 definitions.Trial registration
NCT01535534. Registered 14.02.2012
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