The Use of Procalcitonin Determinations in Evaluation of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Abstract

This study demonstrates that there is no association between the activity of SLE and PCT levels. The utility of the PCT resides is in raising suspicion of a concurrent bacterial or mycotic infection in the evaluation of patients with active autoimmune diseases.

C-reactive Protein Is a More Sensitive and Specific Marker for Diagnosing Bacterial Infections in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Compared to S100A8/A9 and Procalcitonin

“…However, the usefulness of procalcitonin to identify systemic bacterial infections in patients with SLE remains controversial. Although several studies have examined procalcitonin in SLE patients with infections, those studies have been limited by small numbers of patients with infection, analysis of multiple serum samples, variability of patient characteristics, or with the inclusion of patients with other systemic autoimmune disease 16,17,25,28,29,30 . One study demonstrated that SLE patients with bacterial or fungal infections (n = 9) had significantly higher procalcitonin levels than those with viral infections (n = 3) or lupus flares (n = 7) and a normal control group (n = 11) 16 .…”

The diagnostic role of Procalcitonin and other biomarkers in discriminating infectious from non-infectious fever

“…A mild increase of PCT values could be observed in some patients with an inflammatory, non-infectious condition. 17 The general departure point in the majority of earlier studies, that focus on circulating levels of biomarkers in febrile patients, is infection. In this review we describe, for the first time, the diagnostic applicability of traditional laboratory markers, procalcitonin and other promising biomarkers, taking non-infectious febrile diseases as a departure point.…”

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) pneumonitis mimicking swine influenza pneumonia during the swine influenza (H1N1) pandemic

“…Serum procalcitonin levels are elevated in bacterial CAPs, but not in SLE or H1N1 pneumonia. [23][24][25] The pleural effusions in SLE have elevated ANA titers, unlike bacterial pleural effusions. 26 In contrast to patients with SLE pneumonitis, patients with H1N1 pneumonia manifest partly interstitial infiltrates and are hypoxemic.…”