The assessment of pentraxin 3: a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in lower respiratory tract infections in children

• Published in: Italian journal of pediatrics 2024-09, Vol.50 (1), p.182-8, Article 182
• Main Authors: Madkour, Shaimaa, Mostafa, Mona Gamal, El-Kady, Huda
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biomarkers - blood; C-reactive protein; C-Reactive Protein - analysis; C-Reactive Protein - metabolism; Child; Child, Preschool; Children; Female; Humans; Infant; Lower respiratory infections; Male; Pentraxin 3; Prognosis; Respiratory Tract Infections - blood; Respiratory Tract Infections - diagnosis; Sensitivity and Specificity; Serum Amyloid P-Component - analysis; Serum Amyloid P-Component - metabolism; Severity of Illness Index
• ISSN: 1824-7288; 1824-7288
• DOI: 10.1186/s13052-024-01735-5

Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is an acute-phase reactant that is elevated in the plasma during inflammatory responses. We aimed to evaluate the utility of PTX3 as a clinical marker in children with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) and the association between PTX3 and LRTIs severity. We included 60 patients admitted to Fayoum University Hospital with LRTIs fulfilling the WHO criteria for diagnosing LRTIs. We collected data on peak temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, oxygen saturation upon admission, and length of hospital stay. The complete blood count (CBC), C-reactive protein (CRP) level, and PTX3 were measured upon admission. PTX3 levels were significantly correlated with peak temperature, duration of hospital stay, the Pediatric Respiratory Severity Score (PRESS), total leucocytic count (TLC), CRP, and blood cultures. PTX-3 represented the severity of the disease and predicted the prognosis. Pentraxin levels demonstrate a statistically significant sensitivity of (93.3%) and a specificity of (70%) at the cut-off value (of 8.84) with an area under the curve (90.7%) in the diagnosis of LRTIs.