The utility of presepsin in diagnosis and risk stratification for the emergency patients with sepsis

Features of Metabolites and Biomarkers in Inflammatory and Infectious Complications of Childhood Cancers

Background: In the treatment of oncological diseases in children, the search for opportunities for the earlier detection of complications to improve treatment results is very important. Metabolomic studies are actively conducted to stratify different groups of patients in order to identify the most promising markers. Methods: Three groups of patients participated in this study: healthy children as a control group (n = 18), children with various malignant oncological diseases (leukemia, lymphoma, nephroblastoma, ependymoma, etc.) as patients (n = 40) without complications, and patients (n = 31) with complications (inflammatory and infectious). The mitochondrial metabolites (succinic and fumaric acids); biomarkers related to inflammation such as C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and presepsin (PSP); and sepsis-associated aromatic metabolites, such as phenyllactic (PhLA), hydroxyphenyllactic (p-HPhLA), and hydroxyphenylacetic acids (p-HPhAA), were identified. Results: It was found that children with malignant oncological diseases had profound metabolic dysfunction compared to healthy children, regardless of the presence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) or sepsis. The prognostic ability of procalcitonin and presepsin for detecting sepsis was high: AUROC = 0.875, cut-off value (Youden index) = 0.913 ng/mL, and AUROC = 0.774, with cut-off value (Youden index) of 526 pg/mL, respectively. Conclusions: A significant increase in aromatic microbial metabolites and biomarkers in non-survivor patients that is registered already in the first days of the development of complications indicates the appropriateness of assessing metabolic dysfunction for its timely targeted correction.

Sepsis Biomarkers: Advancements and Clinical Applications-A Narrative Review

Sepsis is now defined as a life-threatening syndrome of organ dysfunction triggered by a dysregulated host response to infection, posing significant challenges in critical care. The main objective of this review is to evaluate the potential of emerging biomarkers for early diagnosis and accurate prognosis in sepsis management, which are pivotal for enhancing patient outcomes. Despite advances in supportive care, traditional biomarkers like C-reactive protein and procalcitonin have limitations, and recent studies have identified novel biomarkers with increased sensitivity and specificity, including circular RNAs, HOXA distal transcript antisense RNA, microRNA-486-5p, protein C, triiodothyronine, and prokineticin 2. These emerging biomarkers hold promising potential for the early detection and prognostication of sepsis. They play a crucial role not only in diagnosis but also in guiding antibiotic therapy and evaluating treatment effectiveness. The introduction of point-of-care testing technologies has brought about a paradigm shift in biomarker application, enabling swift and real-time patient evaluation. Despite these advancements, challenges persist, notably concerning biomarker variability and the lack of standardized thresholds. This review summarizes the latest advancements in sepsis biomarker research, spotlighting the progress and clinical implications. It emphasizes the significance of multi-biomarker strategies and the feasibility of personalized medicine in sepsis management. Further verification of biomarkers on a large scale and their integration into clinical practice are advocated to maximize their efficacy in future sepsis treatment.

Early Diagnosis of Sepsis: The Role of Biomarkers and Rapid Microbiological Tests

Sepsis is a medical emergency resulting from a dysregulated response to an infection, causing preventable deaths and a high burden of morbidity. Protocolized and accurate interventions in sepsis are time-critical. Therefore, earlier recognition of cases allows for preventive interventions, early treatment, and improved outcomes. Clinical diagnosis of sepsis by clinical scores cannot be considered an early diagnosis, given that underlying molecular pathophysiological mechanisms have been activated in the preceding hour or days. There is a lack of a widely available tool enhancing preclinical diagnosis of sepsis. Sophisticated technologies for sepsis prediction have several limitations, including high costs. Novel technologies for fast molecular and microbiological diagnosis are focusing on bedside point-of-care combined testing to reach most settings where sepsis represents a challenge.

Navigating the Modern Landscape of Sepsis: Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment

Sepsis poses a significant threat to human health due to its high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. Traditional diagnostic methods for identifying sepsis or its causative organisms are time-consuming and contribute to a high mortality rate. Biomarkers have been developed to overcome these limitations and are currently used for sepsis diagnosis, prognosis prediction, and treatment response assessment. Over the past few decades, more than 250 biomarkers have been identified, a few of which have been used in clinical decision-making. Consistent with the limitations of diagnosing sepsis, there is currently no specific treatment for sepsis. Currently, the general treatment for sepsis is conservative and includes timely antibiotic use and hemodynamic support. When planning sepsis-specific treatment, it is important to select the most suitable patient, considering the heterogeneous nature of sepsis. This comprehensive review summarizes current and evolving biomarkers and therapeutic approaches for sepsis.

No Significant Differences in Presepsin Levels According to the Causative Microorganism of Bloodstream Infection

BACKGROUND

CD14 recognizes lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and presepsin is a fragment of soluble CD14. Still, it remains uncertain whether Gram-negative bacteria induce higher presepsin levels than other microorganisms. To address this question, this study aimed to analyze presepsin levels based on microorganisms isolated in blood cultures.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study was a single-center study comprising suspected sepsis patients enrolled from July 2020 to September 2020. A total of 95 patients with a single isolate confirmed in blood culture were analyzed to evaluate if there are any differences in presepsin levels according to microbial isolates. Plasma presepsin level was measured using PATHFAST assay kit and analyzer (LSI Medience Corporation, Tokyo, Japan).

RESULTS

There were 26 Gram-positive bacteremia, 65 Gram-negative bacteremia, and 3 fungemia patients with median presepsin levels of 869, 1,439, and 11,951 pg/mL, respectively. Besides, one case of algaemia demonstrated a presepsin level of 1,231 pg/mL. Our results showed no statistically significant difference in presepsin levels among patients with Gram-positive bacteremia, Gram-negative bacteremia, and fungemia. Furthermore, presepsin levels did not differ significantly among bloodstream infections caused by bacteria that were isolated from at least three different patients. In particular, Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis were able to induce presepsin levels comparable to those induced by Gram-negative bacteria.

CONCLUSION

We demonstrated that there were no significant differences in plasma presepsin levels according to microbial isolates in blood culture. The major cause of the variability in presepsin levels during bloodstream infection might be the immunogenicity of each microorganism rather than the presence of LPS in the microorganism.

Prognostic differences in sepsis caused by gram-negative bacteria and gram-positive bacteria: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Bacteria are the main pathogens that cause sepsis. The pathogenic mechanisms of sepsis caused by gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria are completely different, and their prognostic differences in sepsis remain unclear.

METHODS

The PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases were searched for Chinese and English studies (January 2003 to September 2023). Observational studies involving gram-negative (G (-))/gram-positive (G (+)) bacterial infection and the prognosis of sepsis were included. The stability of the results was evaluated by sensitivity analysis. Funnel plots and Egger tests were used to check whether there was publication bias. A meta-regression analysis was conducted on the results with high heterogeneity to identify the source of heterogeneity. A total of 6949 articles were retrieved from the database, and 45 studies involving 5586 subjects were included after screening according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Twenty-seven high-quality studies and 18 moderate-quality studies were identified according to the Newcastle‒Ottawa Scale score. There was no significant difference in the survival rate of sepsis caused by G (-) bacteria and G (+) bacteria (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.70-1.28). Subgroup analysis according to survival follow-up time showed no significant difference. The serum concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP) (SMD = 0.39, 95% CI 0.02-0.76), procalcitonin (SMD = 1.95, 95% CI 1.32-2.59) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) (MD = 0.31, 95% CI 0.25-0.38) in the G (-) bacterial infection group were significantly higher than those in the G (+) bacterial infection group, but there was no significant difference in IL-6 (SMD = 1.33, 95% CI - 0.18-2.84) and WBC count (MD = - 0.15, 95% CI - 0.96-00.66). There were no significant differences between G (-) and G (+) bacteria in D dimer level, activated partial thromboplastin time, thrombin time, international normalized ratio, platelet count, length of stay or length of ICU stay. Sensitivity analysis of the above results indicated that the results were stable.

CONCLUSION

The incidence of severe sepsis and the concentrations of inflammatory factors (CRP, PCT, TNF-α) in sepsis caused by G (-) bacteria were higher than those caused by G (+) bacteria. The two groups had no significant difference in survival rate, coagulation function, or hospital stay. The study was registered with PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42023465051).

Three-dimensional label-free morphology of CD8 + T cells as a sepsis biomarker

Sepsis is a dysregulated immune response to infection that leads to organ dysfunction and is associated with a high incidence and mortality rate. The lack of reliable biomarkers for diagnosing and prognosis of sepsis is a major challenge in its management. We aimed to investigate the potential of three-dimensional label-free CD8 + T cell morphology as a biomarker for sepsis. This study included three-time points in the sepsis recovery cohort (N = 8) and healthy controls (N = 20). Morphological features and spatial distribution within cells were compared among the patients' statuses. We developed a deep learning model to predict the diagnosis and prognosis of sepsis using the internal cell morphology. Correlation between the morphological features and clinical indices were analysed. Cell morphological features and spatial distribution differed significantly between patients with sepsis and healthy controls and between the survival and non-survival groups. The model for predicting the diagnosis and prognosis of sepsis showed an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of nearly 100% with only a few cells, and a strong correlation between the morphological features and clinical indices was observed. Our study highlights the potential of three-dimensional label-free CD8 + T cell morphology as a promising biomarker for sepsis. This approach is rapid, requires a minimum amount of blood samples, and has the potential to provide valuable information for the early diagnosis and prognosis of sepsis.

Presepsin in the diagnosis of sepsis

OBJECTIVES

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition characterized by organ dysfunction. It occurs due to the host's dysregulated response to an infection. Clinicians use inflammatory biomarkers to evaluate patients at risk of sepsis in various settings.

METHODS

We included studies focusing on the diagnostic accuracy of presepsin in patients under suspicion of sepsis. The bivariate model of Reitsma was used for the quantitative synthesis, and summary estimates were calculated. The Zhou-Dendukuri approach was followed to assess heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses were performed based on settings and diagnostic criteria.

RESULTS

The summary sensitivity for diagnosing sepsis was 0.805 (95 % CI: 0.759-0.844), while the false positive rate (FPR) was 0.174 (95 % CI: 0.124-0.239). The area under the curve (AUC) for the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve was 0.875, with a slightly lower partial AUC of 0.833. The analysis using the Zhou-Dendukuri approach revealed low heterogeneity (I2 = 15.9 %). Subgroup analyses showed no significant differences in SROC curves and summary estimates between the ED and ICU settings, although the ED subgroup exhibited higher heterogeneity (I2 = 52.7 % vs. 20.2 %). The comparison between the diagnostic criteria, Sepsis 1 and Sepsis 3, demonstrated similar summary estimates and SROC curves. The examination of the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) tool revealed a high risk of bias regarding the participants and their applicability. Also, there was an increased risk of bias in all the studies concerning the index test.

CONCLUSION

Based on our research, presepsin is a promising biomarker for triage and early diagnosis of sepsis.

Comparison of presepsin and Mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin in the diagnosis of sepsis or septic shock: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The early diagnosis of sepsis is hampered by the lack of reliable laboratory measures. There is growing evidence that presepsin and Mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin (MR-proADM) are promising biomarkers in the diagnosis of sepsis. This study was conducted to evaluate and compare the diagnostic value of MR-proADM and presepsin in sepsis patients.

METHODS

We searched Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, China national knowledge infrastructure, and Wanfang up to 22th July, 2022, for studies evaluating the diagnosis performance of presepsin and MR-proADM in adult sepsis patients. Risk of bias was assessed using quadas-2. Pooled sensitivity and specificity were calculated using bivariate meta-analysis. Meta-regression and subgroup analysis were used to find source of heterogeneity.

RESULTS

A total of 40 studies were eventually selected for inclusion in this meta-analysis, including 33 for presepsin and seven for MR-proADM. Presepsin had a sensitivity of 0.86 (0.82-0.90), a specificity of 0.79 (0.71-0.85), and an AUC of 0.90 (0.87-0.92). The sensitivity of MR-proADM was 0.84 (0.78-0.88), specificity was 0.86 (0.79-0.91), and AUC was 0.91 (0.88-0.93). The profile of control group, population, and standard reference may be potential sources of heterogeneity.

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis demonstrated that presepsin and MR-proADM exhibited high accuracy (AUC ≥ 0.90) in the diagnosis of sepsis in adults, with MR-proADM showing significantly higher accuracy than presepsin.

EARLY PREDICTIVE VALUE OF PRESEPSIN FOR SECONDARY SEPSIS AND MORTALITY IN INTENSIVE CARE UNIT PATIENTS WITH SEVERE ACUTE PANCREATITIS

ABSTRACT

Purpose : Sepsis is the leading cause of death in patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) in the intensive care unit (ICU). Early prediction of sepsis secondary to SAP developed in the late phase and of related mortality can enable appropriate treatment and improve outcomes. This study was conducted to evaluate the predictive value of presepsin in ICU patients with SAP at the early stage and compared it with established blood markers and scoring systems. Methods : This retrospective study enrolled 48 septic patients and 53 nonseptic patients admitted to ICU with SAP. Presepsin and other blood markers (procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, IL-6, white blood cell, and serum creatinine) on days 1, 3, and 7 after enrollment as well as scoring systems were assessed to predict secondary sepsis. Outcomes were evaluated at ICU discharge and on days 28 and 90. Results : Presepsin levels (on days 1, 3, and 7) were significantly higher in septic patients than in nonseptic patients. Presepsin levels showed an increasing trend over time in both sepsis and nonsepsis groups, but concentrations increased more rapidly in the sepsis group than in the nonsepsis group. Among the analyzed biomarkers, presepsin was the only blood marker independently associated with sepsis secondary to SAP on days 3 and 7, and presepsin on day 3 was independently associated with mortality at ICU discharge and on days 28 and 90. It showed similar or even better predictive accuracy for both secondary sepsis and mortality than procalcitonin and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score. Conclusion : Presepsin could be a valuable early predictor of secondary sepsis and mortality in patients admitted to the ICU with SAP and may serve as an indicator for early risk stratification.

Daily combined measurement of platelet count and presepsin concentration can predict in-hospital death of patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

The purpose of this study was to classify patients with severe COVID-19 into more detailed risk groups using coagulation/fibrinolysis, inflammation/immune response, and alveolar/myocardial damage biomarkers, as well as to identify prognostic markers for these patients. These biomarkers were measured every day for eight intensive care unit days in 54 adult patients with severe COVID-19. The patients were classified into survivor (n = 40) and non-survivor (n = 14) groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that the combined measurement of platelet count and presepsin concentrations may be the most valuable for predicting in-hospital death, and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis further confirmed this result (area under the curve = 0.832). Patients were consequently classified into three groups (high-, medium-, and low-risk) on the basis of their cutoff values (platelet count 53 × 10³/µL, presepsin 714 pg/mL). The Kaplan-Meier curve for 90-day survival by each group showed that the 90-day mortality rate significantly increased as risk level increased (P < 0.01 by the log-rank test). Daily combined measurement of platelet count and presepsin concentration may be useful for predicting in-hospital death and classifying patients with severe COVID-19 into more detailed risk groups.

Application of Biomarkers in the Diagnostic Distinction of Bacterial and Viral Infections

Infectious diseases, which pose a great threat worldwide, have a significant impact on public health and the world economy. It contributes to increased healthcare costs, unnecessary drug-related side effects, and increased antimicrobial resistance. It is not always easy to distinguish the etiological differentiation of diseases that can develop with bacteria and viruses. Therefore, one of the biggest challenges in medicine is how to correctly distinguish between the different causes of these infections and how to manage the patient. Because bacterial and viral infections often present similar symptoms. The real decision is whether the infection is caused by bacteria or viruses and whether to treat the patient with antibiotics. There are many different methodological approaches to diagnosing infections. Biomarkers have been used in the diagnosis of diseases and other conditions for many years. Biomarkers are molecules found in blood and body fluids in measurable amounts, which can evaluate biological and pathological processes. These key indicators can provide vital information in determining disease prognosis, predicting response to treatments, adverse events and drug interactions, and identifying key risks. An effective biomarker is extremely important for the early diagnosis of various diseases. The explosion of interest in biomarker research is driving the development of new predictive, diagnostic, and prognostic products in modern medical practice. The purpose of this review is to demonstrate the use and diagnostic potential of current and investigational biomarkers in the distinction between bacterial and viral infections.

Performance of presepsin and procalcitonin predicting culture-proven bacterial infection and 28-day mortality: A cross sectional study

Presepsin is a highly specific biomarker for diagnosing bacterial infections, but its clinical usefulness is not well validated. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted. Among the patients suspected bacterial infection or fulfilled the criteria of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and patients who underwent blood culture, presepsin, procalcitonin (PCT), and C-reactive protein (CRP) at the same time were included. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and logistic regression were used to compare performance of three biomarkers. A total of 757 patients were enrolled, including 256 patients (33.8%) with culture-proven bacterial infection and 109 patients (14.4%) with bacteremia. The 28-day mortality rate was 8.6%. ROC curve analysis revealed that the area under the curve (AUC) of PCT was higher than that of presepsin for both culture-proven bacterial infection (0.665 and 0.596, respectively; p = 0.003) and bacteremia (0.791 and 0.685; p < 0.001). In contrast, AUC of PCT for 28-day mortality was slower than presepsin (0.593 and 0.720; p = 0.002). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, PCT showed the highest ORs for culture-proven bacterial infection (OR 2.23, 95% CI 1.55–3.19; p < 0.001) and for bacteremia (OR 5.18, 95% CI 3.13–8.56; p < 0.001), while presepsin showed the highest OR for 28-day mortality (OR 3.31, 95% CI 1.67–6.54; p < 0.001). CRP did not show better performance than PCT or presepsin in any of the analyses. PCT showed the best performance predicting culture-proven bacterial infection and bacteremia, while presepsin would rather be useful as a prognostic marker.

Biomarkers for sepsis: more than just fever and leukocytosis-a narrative review

A biomarker describes a measurable indicator of a patient's clinical condition that can be measured accurately and reproducibly. Biomarkers offer utility for diagnosis, prognosis, early disease recognition, risk stratification, appropriate treatment (theranostics), and trial enrichment for patients with sepsis or suspected sepsis. In this narrative review, we aim to answer the question, "Do biomarkers in patients with sepsis or septic shock predict mortality, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), or organ dysfunction?" We also discuss the role of pro- and anti-inflammatory biomarkers and biomarkers associated with intestinal permeability, endothelial injury, organ dysfunction, blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown, brain injury, and short and long-term mortality. For sepsis, a range of biomarkers is identified, including fluid phase pattern recognition molecules (PRMs), complement system, cytokines, chemokines, damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), non-coding RNAs, miRNAs, cell membrane receptors, cell proteins, metabolites, and soluble receptors. We also provide an overview of immune response biomarkers that can help identify or differentiate between systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), sepsis, septic shock, and sepsis-associated encephalopathy. However, significant work is needed to identify the optimal combinations of biomarkers that can augment diagnosis, treatment, and good patient outcomes.

Diagnostic value of monocyte chemoattractant Protein-1, soluble mannose receptor, Presepsin, and Procalcitonin in critically ill children admitted with suspected sepsis

Introduction

The differentiation between systemic inflammatory response syndrome and sepsis is very important as it determines essential treatment decisions, such as selection, initiation, and duration of antibiotic therapy.

Objectives

We aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of Procalcitonin, Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1, soluble Mannose Receptor, Presepsin as early biomarkers of pediatric sepsis in comparison to systemic inflammatory response syndrome in severely ill children.

Patients and methods

This study included 58 children diagnosed as sepsis (group 1), 24 children with systemic inflammatory response syndrome without infection (group 2), and 50 healthy children as controls (group 3). All the plasma levels of the studied biomarkers were measured and ROC curves were created for all the tested parameters to discriminate between sepsis and SIRS.

Results

The area under the curve for Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 was 0.926 (0.846-0.927) with sensitivity 100% and specificity 62.5%. The soluble Mannose Receptor had the highest sensitivity (100%), with AUC equals 1(.0.956-1.0) and specificity of 100%. The cut-off values for Procalcitonin, Presepsin, soluble Mannose Receptor, and Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 and were: 0.62 ng/ml, 100 pg/ml, 13 ng/ml and 90 pg/ml, respectively. In septic cases, both soluble Mannose Receptor and Procalcitonin have positive correlations with the severity of sepsis, low Glasgow Coma Scale, ventilatory support, use of inotropic drugs and mortality rate (r = 0.950, 0.812, 0.795, 0.732 and 0.861respectively) for soluble Mannose Receptor and (0.536, 0.473, 0.422, 0.305 and 0.474 respectively) for Procalcitonin.

Conclusion

Soluble Mannose Receptor, Presepsin, and Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 can be used to differentiate between sepsis and SIRS in critically ill children.

The Prognostic Value of Presepsin for Sepsis in Abdominal Surgery: A Prospective Study

INTRODUCTION

Rapid diagnosis accompanied by appropriate treatment is essential in the therapy of sepsis. However, there is no blood marker available, which reliably predicts sepsis and associated mortality. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate presepsin and endotoxin in comparison with established blood markers in patients undergoing emergency visceral surgery for abdominal infection.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This prospective study included 31 patients with abdominal infection undergoing emergency surgery between March and August 2014. The Sepsis-2 and Sepsis-3 definitions of sepsis were used. Blood markers (presepsin, endotoxin, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin 6 (IL-6), white blood count) were analyzed preoperatively and correlated with the clinical course and mortality. Additionally, a combination of the three markers, which performed best, was tested.

RESULTS

Twenty patients (64.5%) in the analyzed cohort developed sepsis from an abdominal focus according to the latest sepsis definition. Out of the analyzed blood markers, presepsin exhibited the highest area under the curve, sensitivity, and specificity for the prediction of the development of sepsis. Moreover, presepsin had the highest predictive value for mortality as opposed to both endotoxin and previously established blood markers (i.e., PCT, IL-6). The multimarker approach, which included PCT, IL-6, and presepsin, showed no additional predictive value over presepsin alone.

CONCLUSION

The present study suggests that presepsin is a novel predictor of sepsis and mortality from sepsis in patients undergoing surgery for intra-abdominal infections. The findings of the present study should be validated in a larger cohort.

Presepsin as a Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker in Sepsis

Sepsis is a condition characterized by high morbidity and mortality which is commonly encountered in an emergency and critical care setting. Despite a substantial body of research, the ideal biomarker for the diagnosis and prognostic stratification of septic patients remains unknown. This review aimed to summarize the publications referring to the validity of the biomarker presepsin when used for the detection, monitoring and prognosis in patients suffering with sepsis.

This work is a narrative review based on a PubMed/Medline search conducted in order to identify all relevant publications referring to the use of presepsin in sepsis. Search was not limited by year of publication so all articles archived in the database would be retrieved. No article from before 2010 was identified.

A total of 57 publications of the last decade were included, all of which support the use of presepsin as a biomarker for the assessment of septic patients. It has been used alone or in combination with commonly used biomarkers in the evaluation of patients with sepsis in settings such as the emergency department and the intensive care unit. It is useful in the initial workup of patients with suspected sepsis in the emergency setting and may be a predictive factor of mortality and the most severe complication of sepsis.

Presepsin seems to be a valuable tool for the laboratory workup of sepsis, especially when used in conjunction with other biomarkers and clinical rating scores with an established role in this population. Further research is needed to evaluate the clinical implications of utilizing presepsin measurements in the workup of sepsis.

Host Diagnostic Biomarkers of Infection in the ICU: Where Are We and Where Are We Going?

Purpose of Review

Early identification of infection in the critically ill patient and initiation of appropriate treatment is key to reducing morbidity and mortality. On the other hand, the indiscriminate use of antimicrobials leads to harms, many of which may be exaggerated in the critically ill population. The current method of diagnosing infection in the intensive care unit relies heavily on clinical gestalt; however, this approach is plagued by biases. Therefore, a reliable, independent biomarker holds promise in the accurate determination of infection. We discuss currently used host biomarkers used in the intensive care unit and review new and emerging approaches to biomarker discovery.

Recent Findings

White cell count (including total white cell count, left shift, and the neutrophil-leucocyte ratio), C-reactive protein, and procalcitonin are the most common host diagnostic biomarkers for sepsis used in current clinical practice. However, their utility in the initial diagnosis of infection, and their role in the subsequent decision to commence treatment, remains limited. Novel approaches to biomarker discovery that are currently being investigated include combination biomarkers, host 'sepsis signatures' based on differential gene expression, site-specific biomarkers, biomechanical assays, and incorporation of new and pre-existing host biomarkers into machine learning algorithms.

Summary

To date, no single reliable independent biomarker of infection exists. Whilst new approaches to biomarker discovery hold promise, their clinical utility may be limited if previous mistakes that have afflicted sepsis biomarker research continue to be repeated.

The prognostic value of Presepsin for postoperative complications following pancreatic resection: A prospective study

Background

Presepsin is involved in binding lipopolysaccharides and previous studies have confirmed its value as a marker for early diagnosis and prediction of severity in sepsis. Comparable studies assessing the predictive potential regarding postoperative complications and mortality following pancreatic resection are lacking.

Methods

This prospective study included 70 patients undergoing pancreatic resection from December 2017 until May 2019. Presepsin was measured preoperatively, on postoperative day 1, 3 and 8 (POD1/3/8) and correlated with the clinical course and mortality.

Results

Severe complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥3a) occurred in 28 patients (40%), postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) grade B/C occurred in 20 patients (28.6%), infectious complications in 28 (40%), and four patients (5.7%) died during hospital stay. Presepsin levels at any timepoint did not correlate with further development of postoperative complications or in-hospital mortality whereas CRP levels on postoperative day (POD) 3 were significantly associated with clinically relevant POPF (AUC 0.664, 95%CI 0.528–0.800; p = 0.033). Preoperative Presepsin levels as well as Presepsin on POD1 were significantly elevated in patients with malignant compared to benign underlying disease (299pg/ml vs. 174pg/ml and 693.5pg/ml vs. 294pg/ml; p = 0.009 and 0.013, respectively).

Conclusion

In our cohort, Presepsin was not eligible to predict the postoperative course following pancreatic resection. However, Presepsin levels were significantly elevated in patients with malignant disease, this finding warrants further investigation.

Presepsin As a Biomarker for Evaluating Prognosis and Early Innate Immune Response of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Patients After Return of Spontaneous Circulation

OBJECTIVES

After return of spontaneous circulation, patients who experienced out-of-hospital cardiac arrest present an impaired innate immune response that resembles sepsis. Presepsin, a new biomarker for sepsis, has not been studied in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients. This study explored the role of presepsin in evaluating the prognosis and early innate immune alteration of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients after return of spontaneous circulation by observing presepsin levels, CD14, and human leukocyte antigen-DR expression on monocytes.

DESIGN

Retrospective analysis.

SETTING

The emergency department of an urban university tertiary hospital.

PARTICIPANTS

One hundred sixty-five out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients with return of spontaneous circulation more than 12 hours, and 100 healthy individuals.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Plasma presepsin and procalcitonin levels were tested after resuscitation (day 0) and on days 1 and 3 after return of spontaneous circulation. Presepsin levels were higher in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients than in healthy individuals. In the first 3 days, presepsin and procalcitonin levels were persistently lower in 28-day survivors and patients with favorable neurologic outcome patients than in 28-day nonsurvivors and patients with unfavorable neurologic outcome. On days 0, 1, and 3, different cut-off values of presepsin showed prognostic value for 28-day mortality and favorable neurologic outcomes similar to procalcitonin. CD14 and human leukocyte antigen-DR expression on monocytes were analyzed by flow cytometry. Compared with controls, CD14 expression in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients increased on day 1 and began to decrease on day 3, whereas human leukocyte antigen-DR+ monocyte percentages decreased on days 1 and 3. Presepsin and procalcitonin had a low positive correlation with CD14 expression and a strong negative correlation with human leukocyte antigen-DR+ monocyte percentages on day 1.

CONCLUSIONS

Plasma presepsin concentrations are independent prognostic factors for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients after return of spontaneous circulation and are correlated with abnormal CD14 and human leukocyte antigen-DR expression on monocytes. Monitoring presepsin levels may be helpful for evaluating the prognosis and impaired innate immune response in the early period after return of spontaneous circulation.

Biomarkers for Point-of-Care Diagnosis of Sepsis

Sepsis is defined as a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. In 2017, almost 50 million cases of sepsis were recorded worldwide and 11 million sepsis-related deaths were reported. Therefore, sepsis is the focus of intense research to better understand the complexities of sepsis response, particularly the twin underlying concepts of an initial hyper-immune response and a counter-immunological state of immunosuppression triggered by an invading pathogen. Diagnosis of sepsis remains a significant challenge. Prompt diagnosis is essential so that treatment can be instigated as early as possible to ensure the best outcome, as delay in treatment is associated with higher mortality. In order to address this diagnostic problem, use of a panel of biomarkers has been proposed as, due to the complexity of the sepsis response, no single marker is sufficient. This review provides background on the current understanding of sepsis in terms of its epidemiology, the evolution of the definition of sepsis, pathobiology and diagnosis and management. Candidate biomarkers of interest and how current and developing point-of-care testing approaches could be used to measure such biomarkers is discussed.

An Update on Sepsis Biomarkers

Sepsis is a dysregulated systemic reaction to a common infection, that can cause life-threatening organ dysfunction. Over the last decade, the mortality rate of patients with sepsis has decreased as long as patients are treated according to the recommendations of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign, but is still unacceptably high. Patients at risk of sepsis should therefore be identified prior to the onset of organ dysfunction and this requires a rapid diagnosis and a prompt initiation of treatment. Unfortunately, there is no gold standard for the diagnosis of sepsis and traditional standard culture methods are time-consuming. Recently, in order to overcome these limitations, biomarkers which could help in predicting the diagnosis and prognosis of sepsis, as well as being useful for monitoring the response to treatments, have been identified. In addition, recent advances have led to the development of newly identified classes of biomarkers such as microRNAs, long-non-coding RNAs, and the human microbiome. This review focuses on the latest information on biomarkers that can be used to predict the diagnosis and prognosis of sepsis.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Procalcitonin Compared to C-Reactive Protein and Interleukin 6 in Recognizing Gram-Negative Bloodstream Infection: A Meta-Analytic Study

Objective

Gram-negative bloodstream infections (GNBSIs), especially those caused by antibiotic-resistant species, have become a public health challenge. Procalcitonin (PCT) showed promising potential in early diagnosis of GNBSI; however, little was known about its performance under different clinical settings. We here systematically assessed the diagnostic accuracy of PCT in recognizing GNBSI and made direct comparisons with C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin 6 (IL-6).

Methods

PubMed, Embase, ISI Web of Knowledge, and Scopus were searched from inception to March 15th, 2019. Area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), pooled sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were calculated. Hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) model was used for the investigation of heterogeneity and for comparisons between markers.

Results

25 studies incorporating 50933 suspected BSI episodes were included. Pooled sensitivity and specificity for PCT were 0.71 and 0.76, respectively. The overall AUC was 0.80. The lowest AUCs were found in patients with febrile neutropenia (0.69) and hematological malignancy (0.69). The highest AUC was found in groups using electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (0.87). In direct comparisons, PCT showed better overall performance than CRP with the AUC being 0.85 (95% CI 0.81–0.87) for PCT and 0.78 (95% CI 0.74–0.81) for CRP, but the relative DORs varied with thresholds between PCT and CRP (p < 0.001). No significant difference was found either in threshold (p < 0.001). No significant difference was found either in threshold (p < 0.001). No significant difference was found either in threshold (

Conclusions

PCT was helpful in recognizing GNBSI, but the test results should be interpreted carefully with knowledge of patients' medical condition and should not serve as the only criterion for GNBSI. Further prospective studies are warranted for comparisons between different clinical settings.