Comparison Of Procalcitonin And C-Reactive Protein Values In Brucella Spp And Other Gram-Negative Bacteremias

In this study, we aimed to compare procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in patients with gram-negative bacteremia, as Brucella spp., Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., and Acinetobacter spp. Simultaneous studies on culture, PCT and CRP were done on the blood samples obtained from the patients. Samples were investigated in Konya Research and Education Hospital, Konya, Turkey. Samples were collected and incubated in BACTEC 9120 blood culture system. Phoenix-100 automated identification panels were used. For Brucella spp. identification, Brucella polyvalent serum was used in addition to conventional methods. CRP values >5 mg/L and PCT values >0.5 ng/ml were considered pathological. (Cut of value of PCT is 0.02-50 ng/ml.) PCT values were evaluated in three groups as: Group 1 (<0.5 ng/ml), Group 2 (0.5-2.0 ng/ml) and Group 3 (>2.0 ng/ml). Brucella spp. were detected in 100 patients, while E. coli in 50 patients, Klebsiella spp. in 50 patients, and Acinetobacter spp. in 40 patients, and these 240 patients were included in the study. For Brucella spp., PCT was in Group 1 (<0.5 ng/ml) in all 100 patients, and CRP was >5 mg/L in 92. For E. coli, PCT was in Group 3 (>2.0 ng/ml) in 34 patients and CRP was >5 mg/L in 46. For Klebsiella spp., PCT was in Group 3 (>2 ng/ml) in 47 patients and CRP was >5 mg/L in 39. For Acinetobacter spp., PCT was in Group 2 (0.5-2.0 ng/ml) in 24 patients and CRP was >5 mg/L in all 40. In some of the gram-negative bacterial infections, PCT and CRP levels were increased, but in patients in whom Brucella spp. were grown in blood culture, CRP level increased while PCT level did not.