Abstract
Procalcitonin is a specific marker of severe bacterial infections with systemic inflammation. Quantitative evaluation of serum procalcitonin was performed in 140 patients with Legionella pneumonia. Positive values (>0.5 ng/mL) were found in 57.1% of the subjects. The positive sample rate was higher in early sera (73.9% in the first week) and decreased progressively. Mean values and the positive sample rate (69.8%) were higher in sera collected in the first 2 weeks of disease. Procalcitonin was positive in 86.7% of legionellosis cases confirmed by culture and mean positive values were significantly higher (P < 0.001) than those of culture-negative subjects. We conclude that procalcitonin can represent a useful prognostic marker for severe suspected Legionella pneumonia in the first 2 weeks of disease.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature Cited
M Assicot D Gendrel H Carsin J Raymond J Guibaud C Bohuon (1993) ArticleTitleHigh serum procalcitonin concentrations in patients with sepsis and infection Lancet 341 515–518 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0140-6736(93)90277-N Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:ByyC2s3otV0%3D Occurrence Handle8094770
A Benin RF Benson RE Besser (2002) ArticleTitleTrends in Legionnaires’ disease, 1980–1998: declining mortality and new patterns of diagnosis Clin Infect Dis 35 1039–1046 Occurrence Handle10.1086/342903 Occurrence Handle12384836
FM Brunkhorst OK Eberhard R Brunkhorst (1999) ArticleTitleDiscrimination of infectious and non-infectious causes of early ARDS by procalcitonin Crit Care Med 27 2172–2176 Occurrence Handle10.1097/00003246-199910000-00016 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3c%2FhsVagtQ%3D%3D Occurrence Handle10548201
FM Brunkhorst B Al-Nawas F Krummenauer ZF Forycki PM Shah (2002) ArticleTitleProcalcitonin, C-reactive protein and APACHE II score risk for evaluation in patients with severe pneumonia Clin Microbiol Infect 8 93–100 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1469-0691.2002.00349.x Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD38XnsVSntb4%3D Occurrence Handle11952722
InstitutionalAuthorNameCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (1997) ArticleTitleGuidelines for prevention of nosocomial pneumonia MMWR 46 IssueIDRR-1 1–79
CB Chiwakata C Manegold L Bönicke I Waase C Jülch M Dietrich (2001) ArticleTitleProcalcitonin as a parameter of disease severity and risk of mortality in patients with Plasmodium falciparum malaria J Infect Dis 183 1161–1164 Occurrence Handle10.1086/319283 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3M3ks1Kksw%3D%3D Occurrence Handle11237849
F Duflo R Debon G Monneret J Bienvenu D Chassard B Allaouchiche (2002) ArticleTitleAlveolar and serum procalcitonin. Diagnostic and prognostic value in ventilator-associated pneumonia Anesthesiology 96 74–79 Occurrence Handle10.1097/00000542-200201000-00018 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD38XntFejsg%3D%3D Occurrence Handle11753005
PH Edelstein (1993) ArticleTitleLegionnaires’ disease Clin Infect Dis 16 741–749 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:ByyA38%2FhvVE%3D Occurrence Handle8329504
EWGLI (2003) European guidelines for control and prevention of travel associated Legionnaires’ disease. http://www.ewgli.org
BS Fields RF Benson RE Besser (2002) ArticleTitleLegionella and Legionnaires’ disease: 25 years of investigation Clin Microbiol Rev 15 506–526 Occurrence Handle10.1128/CMR.15.3.506-526.2002 Occurrence Handle12097254
D Gendrel C Bohuon (2000) ArticleTitleProcalcitonin as a marker of bacterial infection Pediatr Infect Dis J 19 679–688
SA Glantz (1994) Statistica per discipline bio-mediche EditionNumber2 McGraw-Hill Libri Italia Milan 100–102
P Hausfater S Garric S Ben Ayed M Rosenheim M Bernard B Riou (2002) ArticleTitleUsefulness of procalcitonin as a marker of systemic infection in emergency department patients: a prospective study Clin Infect Dis 34 895–901 Occurrence Handle10.1086/339198 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD38XjtVyguro%3D Occurrence Handle11880953
C Joseph (2002) ArticleTitleNew outbreak of legionnaires’ disease in the United Kingdom Br Med J 325 347–348 Occurrence Handle10.1136/bmj.325.7360.347
ER Kuse I Langefeld K Jaeger W-R Külpmann (2000) ArticleTitleProcalcitonin–a new diagnostic tool in complications following liver transplantation Intensive Care Med 26 IssueIDSuppl 2 187–192 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s001340051142
F Moulin J Raymond M Lorrot E Marc J Coste J-L Iniguez G Kalifa C Bohuon D Gendrel (2001) ArticleTitleProcalcitonin in children admitted to hospital with community acquired pneumonia Arch Dis Child 84 332–336
DR Murdoch (2003) ArticleTitleDiagnosis of Legionella infection Clin Infect Dis 36 64–69 Occurrence Handle10.1086/345529 Occurrence Handle12491204
ES Nylen RH Snider SuffixJr KA Thompson P Rohatgi KL Becker (1996) ArticleTitlePneumonitis-associated hyperprocalcitoninemia Am J Med Sci 312 12–18 Occurrence Handle10.1097/00000441-199607000-00003 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:BymA383jsF0%3D Occurrence Handle8686724
JE Stout VL Yu (1997) ArticleTitleLegionellosis N Engl J Med 337 682–687 Occurrence Handle10.1056/NEJM199709043371006 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:ByiH3cjosVI%3D Occurrence Handle9278466
HW Wilkinson (1988) Hospital-laboratory diagnosis of Legionella infections Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta, GA
Acknowledgments
We gratefully acknowledge Specchio dei Tempi—LA STAMPA, Turin, Italy, for their support. This work was partially supported by Regione Piemonte (grant 165/98).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Franzin, L., Cabodi, D. Legionella Pneumonia and Serum Procalcitonin. Curr Microbiol 50, 43–46 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-004-4360-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-004-4360-1