Values of procalcitonin and C-reactive proteins in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease having concomitant bacterial infection

Objective: To observe the changes in the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) in serum of patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) and to compare with the values of CRP in combination with PCT in the diagnosis and treatment of infective exacerbation of COPD.

Methods: One hundred and sixty-four patients who developed acute exacerbation of COPD and admitted to the Binzhou People’s Hospital from March 2014 to December 2015 were selected. They were divided into an infection group (N=98) and a non-infection group (N=66) according to bacterial culture results of sputum and lung computer tomography (CT) examination results. Moreover, 50 healthy people were selected as a normal control group. The levels of PCT and CRP of the three groups were determined respectively; patients in the infection group and non-infection group were determined again after administration of antibacterial drugs for a period of time. The results were all recorded.

Results: The levels of PCT and CRP of the infection group were significantly higher than those of the non-infection group and the normal control group before treatment, and the difference had statistical significance (P<0.05). The levels of PCT and CRP were (1.97±0.13) μg/L and (7.34±2.66) mg/L respectively in the infection group after treatment, which was much lower than the levels before treatment (P<0.05). The level of PCT of the infection group was remarkably higher than that of the non-infection group after treatment (P<0.05), but the difference of CRP level between the infection group and non-infection group had no statistical significance (P>0.05). The specificity and sensitivity of diagnosing COPD in combination with bacterial infection with PCT or CRP were lower than those of PCT in combination with CRP.

Conclusion: Levels of CRP in combination with PCT is a reliable index for determining the existence of bacterial infection, which is of great clinical guidance significance to the treatment and prognosis assessment of AECOPD patients.