Determination of serum procalcitonin and total antioxidant capacity in patients of sepsis before and after treatment, in a tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Sepsis is a medical emergency, occurring due to the body's systemic immunological response to an infection. It is among the most common reasons for intensive care unit admissions worldwide and is one of the top 10 leading causes of death worldwide. Procalcitonin (PCT) is the marker of sepsis, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) is a marker of oxidative stress and gives a mirror image about patient's antioxidant status. The purpose of the study was to estimate serum PCT and TAC levels in sepsis patients, before and after treatment, and to find the correlation between them. Materials and Methods: In this observational follow-up study, 60 sepsis patients were recruited using purposive sampling method, and samples were taken before and after treatment. Separated serum was used to measure PCT and TAC. PCT was measured by a rapid quantitative test using a sandwich immunodetection method based on fluorescence immunoassay technology, on a Finecare FIA system. Values over 0.5 ng/ml were considered significant. TAC was measured using the ferric-reducing antioxidant power method based on reduction of a colorless Fe3+-TPTZ on interaction with a potential antioxidant, into an intense blue Fe2+-TPTZ complex. Results: The mean PCT in subjects before treatment was as high as 40.62 ± 12.02 ng/ml, and the difference between before and after treatment values was highly significant (P = 0.000). For TAC also, before treatment value was higher (485.64 ± 106.53 μm/l) than the after treatment (277.79 ± 74.17 μm/l) value with a significantly high difference (P = 0.000). Furthermore, a strong positive correlation between PCT and TAC (r = 0.754, P = 0.000) was observed. Conclusion: It was concluded that in sepsis, there is a concomitant existence of inflammation and oxidative stress. Since TAC values correlate with values of PCT, TAC could be a reliable prognostic marker and may be helpful in evaluating interventions on follow-up of patients.