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№4' 2015

THERAPY

International Medical Journal, Vol. 21., Iss. 4, 2015, P. 13−16.

THE CONTENT OF PROCALCITONIN AND GALECTIN-3 IN THE BLOOD OF PATIENTS WITH COMMUNITY-ACQUIRED PNEUMONIA AND CONCOMITANT CHRONIC HEART FAILURE AND WITHOUT IT

Kharkiv Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education, Ukraine

Procalcitonin (PCT) content is measured to assess the likelihood of bacterial infection as well as to justify antibiotics prescription. Plasma concentrations of galectin−3 (Gal−3) are used to predict outcomes in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). The influence of comorbidities on blood concentrations of PCT and Gal−3 in patients with CHF remains unexplored. The purpose of the work was to evaluate the changes in levels of PCT and Gal−3 in patients with community−acquired pneumonia (CAP) with and without CHF. The trial was performed at therapy department of Kharkiv City Clinical Hospital No. 25. Exclusion criteria were severe CAP, valvular heart diseases, dilated or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, functional class (FC) 1 or 4 CHF, young age. The study included 109 patients with CAP and concomitant CHF (group 1) and 30 patients with isolated CAP (group 2). The content of PCT and Gal−3 in the blood was determined on admission. In patients with CAP and concomitant CHF plasma concentrations of PCT (0.41±0.03 ng/ml) and Gal−3 (34.15±2.01 ng/ml) were higher than in patients with isolated CAP (0.25±0.02 and 19.70±2.62, respectively; in both cases p < 0.05). Correlation analysis did not show any relation between the levels of PCT, Gal−3 and FC of CHF. Blood plasma concentrations of PCT and Gal−3 in patients with CAP and concomitant CHF are significantly higher than in patients with isolated CAP and are not associated with FC of CHF. When assessing the results of determining of biomarker concentrations in patients with CAP, the presence or absence of CHF should be considered.

Key words: community−acquired pneumonia, chronic heart failure, procalcitonin, galectin−3.