The role of heparin-binding protein, procalcitonin, C-reactive protein and white blood cell in respiratory tract bacterial infection

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic value of the heparin-binding protein (HBP), procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cell (WBC) in respiratory tract bacterial infection. Methods 66 respiratory tract bacterial infection patients, 37 respiratory tract non-bacterial infection patients and 39 control group in the Third Xiangya Hospital from October 2015 to March 2017 was selected as objects in this prospective study. The levels of HBP, PCT and CRP in blood of the objects were tested with ELESA, immunofluorescence assay, immunoturbidimetry respectively; WBC counts were taken by Sysmex XE-5000 blood analyzer. The difference among the three groups was analyzed by Student′s t test, one-way ANOVA or Wilcoxon test. Receiver operating characteristic curve was utilized to analyze the diagnostic value of HBP, PCT, CRP and WBC in respiratory tract bacterial infection. Results The plasma level of HBP were 36.30 (7.78-89.36) ng/ml, 5.57 (4.37-8.23) ng/ml, 2.84 (1.53-6.51) ng/ml in respiratory tract bacterial infection group, respiratory tract non-bacterial infection group and control group respectively. The socre of PCT were 0.08 (0.04-0.83) ng/ml, 0.09 (0.04-0.30) ng/ml, 0.04 (0.03-0.08) ng/ml. The socre of CRP were 56.20 (19.33-76.23) mg/L, 34.40 (2.15-83.95) mg/L, (2.20±0.99) mg/L. The socre of WBC count were (10.59±4.58) ×109/L, 8.40 (5.80-11.88) ×109/L, (6.14±1.31) ×109/L. There were statistically significant differences in HBP scores between respiratory tract bacterial infection group and respiratory tract non-bacterial infection group or control group (Z=-4.828, P 0.05; F=0.100, P>0.05; F=2.417, P>0.05), but significant differences between respiratory tract bacterial infection group and control group (Z=-2.881, P<0.05; Z=-6.595, P<0.001; t=6.499, P<0.001). The area under curve (AUC) of HBP, PCT, CRP and WBC diagnosing respiratory tract bacterial infection was 0.89, 0.69, 0.95 and 0.85 respectively. The AUC of HBP differential diagnosising was 0.80. Conclusion HBP can be used as an efficient supplementary indicator for respiratory tract bacterial infection, the differential diagnostic value is superior to PCT, CRP and WBC.(Chin J Lab Med, 2017, 40: 711-715) Key words: Respiratory tract infections; Bacterial infections; Blood proteins; Carrier proteins; Antimicrobial cationic peptides; Calcitonin; C-reactive protein; Leukocyte count