Biochemical markers for septic processes are necessary in order to obtain objective evidence of sepsis. The C-reactive protein (CRP) has been used to that, despite its low specificity. The procalcitonin (PCT) was proposed as a more specific marker, but its predictive value is not yet well established. We evaluated which one of that markers could anticipate the clinical output of septic patients. Determination of PCT/CRP was performed in 19 sera from patients from ITU of Hospital São Paulo/EPM. Procalcitonin was measured by immunoluminometric assay (LUMItest PCT, Brahms Diagnostica GmB, Berlin, Germany) and C-reactive protein by immunonephelometric assay (N High Sensitivity CRP, Dade Behring, Marburg, Germany). The PCT concentrations are significantly higher in non-survivors than in survivors group (p < 0.002), what did not occur with CRP. We did not observe significant correlation between procalcitonin and C-reactive protein concentrations as in non-survival as survival group (SR = 0.205, critic value 0.533 and SR = 0.029, critic value 0.811, respectively). We concluded that both markers are sensitive for septic process and that higher procalcitonin concentration could be related to a worse prognostic.
Procalcitonin; C-reactive protein; Sepsis; Prognostic
