Clinical Significance

Procalcitonin (procalcitonin, PCT) is a glycoprotein composed of 116 amino acids, is the precursor peptide of calcitonin (calcitonin, CT). Procalcitonin can exist in normal human serum in free form. Under normal circumstances, the serum PCT level in the human body is very low, mostly lower than 0.1ng/ml; the PCT increases physiologically within 2 days of birth, up to 21ng/ml; the plasma PCT value of long-term hemodialysis patients can reach 1.5ng/ml ml. Rapid increases in PCT gene expression are induced in severe bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections, as well as in sepsis and multiple organ failure, and this increase correlates with infection severity and mortality. Calcium levels are normal or only slightly elevated. PCT is not elevated in autoimmunity, allergy, and viral infections. Local limited bacterial infections, mild infections, and chronic inflammation also do not cause it to rise. Bacterial endotoxin plays a crucial role in the induction process.
PCT reflects the active degree of systemic inflammatory response. Factors that affect PCT levels include the size and type of the infected organ, the type of bacteria, the degree of inflammation, and the state of the immune response.

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