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Use of Procalcitonin in the Diagnosis of Pleural Effusion

NCT00172835 · Status: UNKNOWN · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 100

Last updated 2005-09-15

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Among several markers of inflammation and sepsis, procalcitonin (PCT) markers is being studied to investigate their accuracy for the diagnosis of bacterial infections. PCT is the prehormone of calcitonin, which is normally secreted by the C cells of the thyroid in response to hypercalcemia; under these normal conditions, negligible serumPCT concentrations are detected. The mechanism proposed for PCT production after inflammation and its role are still not completely known. It is believed that PCT is produced by the liver and peripheral blood mononuclear cells, modulated by lipopolysaccharides and sepsis-related cytokines. It binds to polysaccharides in pathogens, activating the classical complement pathway. The reported diagnostic accuracy of PCT for the diagnosis of bacterial infections has varied across studies.

Conditions

  • Pleural Effusion

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • National Taiwan University Hospital

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Po-Ren Hsueh, MD · Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2005-03-31

Countries

  • Taiwan

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT00172835 on ClinicalTrials.gov