Research progress of the serum procalcitonin in patients with chronic hepatic disease

Abstract:

Procalcitonin（PCT） is a diagnostic biomarker of severe bacterial infection and sepsis and it has been widely used in clini－cal diagnosis. Whether PCT biosynthesis is affected by the liver disease is uncertain. Some researches revealed that serum PCT was eligible for diagnosing infection accompanied with liver cirrhosis，but some researches disagreed. The level of serum PCT might unusually increase in patients with autoimmune hepatitis or after liver transplantation or with extensive metastatic deposits in liver. Monitoring serum PCT consecutively and dynamically，as well as comprehensive assessment in combination with other makers are valu－able in judging the treatment effect and estimating the prognosis，however，its role in guiding the rational use of antibiotics is still un－certain.