The Pitfall in Evaluating Several Serological Markers of Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia in a Neutropenic Patient

Jiro FUJITA; Kimihiro KAWAKAMI; Yoshiko MATSUHASHI; Shuji BANDOH; Masami NAGAI; Jiro TAKAHARA

doi:10.2169/internalmedicine.39.659

The Pitfall in Evaluating Several Serological Markers of Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia in a Neutropenic Patient

Jiro FUJITA, Kimihiro KAWAKAMI, Yoshiko MATSUHASHI, Shuji BANDOH, Masami NAGAI, Jiro TAKAHARA

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Keywords: amino-terminal propeptide of Type III procollagen KL-6, cytokeratin 19 fragment, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2000 Volume 39 Issue 8 Pages 659-662

DOI https://doi.org/10.2169/internalmedicine.39.659

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Abstract

We compared the significance of several serum markers to evaluate the activity of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) in an immunocompromized patient. We successively measured KL-6, an ammo-terminal propeptide of Type III procollagen (PIIINP), and the cytokeratin 19 fragment (CK19) in the sera of a patient with PCP. Interestingly, PIIINP, KL-6, and CK19 levels in the sera did not increase at the time of onset of PCP during a neutropenic phase. Instead, they markedly increased after the recovery of WBC counts. This case suggests that values of PIIINP, KL-6, and CK19 used for monitoring the activity of PCP might be underestimated in neutropenic patients.
(Internal Medicine 39: 659-662, 2000)

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