Serum Procalcitonin in Lower Respiratory Tract Infections in Adult Patients

摘要

Procalcitonin is a protein (that consists of 116 amino acids) and is a peptide precursor of the hormone calcitonin. Calcitonin is involved inthe homeostasis of calcium. In healthy people, procalcitonin blood levels are negligible. Based on the current data, raised serumprocalcitonin levels indicate activation of the innate immune system due to invasion of microbes (bacteria, some fungi, and malaria).Procalcitonin levels are used to support the diagnosis of bacterial infection or sepsis in the emergency departments. This biomarker can beused, along with clinical judgment, in a hospital setting to guide antibiotic treatment in cases of pneumonia and non-pneumonic lowerrespiratory tract infections.