Could presepsin be an alternative marker in the early diagnosis of sepsis in COVID-19?

ABSTRACT

In critical patients with Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), we investigated the diagnostic value of presepsin in the early diagnosis of superinfection with sepsis, and the effect of antibiotic treatment (AT) in the levels of presepsin and procalcitonin and C-reactive protein. A total of 68 critical patients with sepsis and septic shock in the intensive care unit and 20 outpatients (control group) with COVID-19 were taken. ICU patients (n = 68) were further divided into three groups. C(-)AT(-) had negative blood or tracheal aspirate cultures (C) and not AT on admission to ICU (n = 18), C(-)AT(+) had negative C and AT on admission to intensive care unit (n = 31) and C(+) had positive C (n = 19). Presepsin, procalcitonin, C-reactive protein results were compared between the groups. There were no significant relationships between presepsin levels with sepsis, septic shock, mortality, or length of stay in ICU in patients with COVID-19. For procalcitonin and C-reactive protein levels in C(-)AT(+) and C(+) groups were significantly higher than in control and C(-)AT(-) groups (p < .001). C-reactive protein levels in C(-)AT(-) group were significantly higher than in the control group (p < .001). PCT and CRP, there was no difference between C(-)AT(+) and C(+) groups, and procalcitonin there was no difference between control and C(-)AT(-) groups. Presepsin was not found as a useful biomarker for the prediction of sepsis in COVID-19 patients. These study findings indicate that procalcitonin and C-reactive protein may be an indicator of an early diagnostic marker for superinfection in critical COVID-19 patients.