Diagnostic and prognostic utility of soluble CD 14 subtype (presepsin) for severe sepsis and septic shock during the first week of intensive care treatment

Michael Behnes, Thomas Bertsch, Dominic Lepiorz, Siegfried Lang, Frederik Trinkmann, Martina Brueckmann, Martin Borggrefe, Ursula Hoffmann

IntroductionThe aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of presepsin in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock during the first week of ICU treatment.MethodsIn total, 116 patients with suspected severe sepsis or septic shock were included during the first 24 hours of ICU treatment. Blood samples for biomarker measurements of presepsin, procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin 6 (IL-6), C reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cells (WBC) were drawn at days 1, 3 and 8. All patients were followed up for six months. Biomarkers were tested for diagnosis of severe sepsis, septic shock and sepsis at days 1, 3 and 8, and for all-cause mortality prognosis at 30 days and 6 months. Diagnostic and prognostic capacities were tested by determining diagnostic cutoff levels, goodness criteria, C-statistics and multivariable Cox regression models.ResultsPresepsin increased significantly from the lowest to most severe sepsis groups at days 1, 3 and 8 (test for linear trend P <0.03). Presepsin levels revealed valuable diagnostic capacity to diagnose severe sepsis and septic shock at days 1, 3 and 8 (range of diagnostic area under the curves (AUC) 0.72 to 0.84, P = 0.0001) compared to IL-6, PCT, CRP and WBC. Goodness criteria for diagnosis of sepsis severity were analyzed (¿sepsis, cutoff = 530 pg/ml; ¿severe sepsis, cutoff = 600 pg/ml; ¿septic shock, cutoff = 700 pg/ml; P <0.03). Presepsin levels revealed significant prognostic value for 30 days and 6 months all-cause mortality (presepsin: range of AUC 0.64 to 0.71, P <0.02). Patients with presepsin levels of the 4th quartile were 5 to 7 times more likely to die after six months than patients with lower levels. The prognostic value for all-cause mortality of presepsin was comparable to that of IL-6 and better than that of PCT, CRP or WBC.ConclusionsPresepsin reveals valuable diagnostic capacity to differentiate sepsis severity compared to PCT, IL-6, CRP, WBC. Additionally, presepsin and IL-6 reveal prognostic value with respect to 30 days and 6 months all-cause mortality in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock throughout the first week of ICU treatment.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT01535534. Registered 14 February 2012.