Effects of anticancer treatment on C-reactive protein and procalcitonin levels in patients with infection

In this study, the effect of anticancer treatment was studied on diagnostic values of procalcitonin and C-reactive protein in infectious diseases of pediatric patients receiving anticancer treatment. In our study 117 episodes of fever in 63 anticancer treatment receiving pediatric patients who were under surveillance and receiving treatment for high fever, were evaluated retrospectively. As a control group 117 episodes of fever in 116 non-immunodeficient pediatric patients who were treated inwardly for fever and infection, were evaluated. Initial laoratory signs during fever onset, procalcitonin and C-reactive protein levels, fever focuses, presence of catheter, culture results, antibiotic types and intravenous antibiotic duration were also evaluated. Compared to control group (p < 0,001) , hemoglobin levels, white blood cells, thrombocyte and mean absolute neutrophil number levels were lower in patients receiving anticancer treatment . There was no significant difference between groups in number of days with high fever (p=0,176). Difference between levels of procalcitonin and C-reactive protein was not statistically significant (p value was 0,691 and 0,312 respectively) in neither of the groups. White blood cell and absolute neutrophil levels were positively correlated with procalcitonin and C-reactive protein levels in anticancer treatment receiving group whereas they were inversely correlated in control group (p=0,008). There was no significant relation between procalcitonin and white blood cells or absolute neutrophil depth in neither of the groups. In both groups, the difference between procalcitonin and C-reactive protein levels in respect to hospital stay was also insignificant. Only in patients with leukemia and lymphoma with serum procalcitonin levels higher than 0,5 mg/dl, intravenous antibiotic treatment duration is found to be longer (p=0,034). In our study, we have found out that there is no significant difference in the levels of C-reactive protein and procalcitonin in pediatric patients receiving anticancer treatment during febrile neutropenic attacks compared to patients who were not in anticancer treatment process. Key Words: C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, anticancer treatment