OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to evaluate plasma calprotectin levels and clearance end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients with and without acute infection undergoing chronic hemodialysis (HD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood samples from 54 HD patients were obtained before and after the HD and 42 healthy blood donors were examined as controls. The blood levels of calprotectin, procalcitonin, C-reactive protein (CRP), and intracellular production of interleukins 10 and 12 in monocytes were determined in both groups. RESULTS: The concentrations of plasma calprotectin in ESRD patients were significantly higher than in healthy controls (p < 0.05). No differences between pre- and post-HD calprotectin plasma levels were observed (p = 0.07 for two-tailed test). Plasma calprotectin levels were not significantly influenced by the presence of acute infection (p = 0.19) or diabetes (p = 0.42). A significant positive correlation of plasma calprotectin to plasma beta-2 microglobulin was proven (p < 0.05). Procalcitonin (PCT), CRP, IL-10, and IL-12 were not correlated with plasma calprotectin before or after HD. The elevation of plasma calprotectin was correlated strongly to the hemodialysis vintage (r = 0.55, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Significantly elevated levels of plasma calprotectin in ESRD patients occur without an acute infectious cause and are not affected by the presence of diabetes. By analogy to plasma beta-2 microglobulin, a close relation of plasma calprotectin to HD vintage was shown.

• MeSH
• beta 2-Microglobulin metabolism   MeSH
• C-Reactive Protein metabolism   MeSH
• Kidney Failure, Chronic blood   MeSH
• Renal Dialysis * MeSH
• Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay MeSH
• Interleukin-10 biosynthesis   MeSH
• Interleukin-12 biosynthesis   MeSH
• Calcitonin blood   MeSH
• Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex blood   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Monocytes metabolism   MeSH
• Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide MeSH
• Protein Precursors blood   MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Check Tag
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• beta 2-Microglobulin MeSH
• C-Reactive Protein MeSH
• CALCA protein, human MeSH Browser
• Interleukin-10 MeSH
• Interleukin-12 MeSH
• Calcitonin MeSH
• Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex MeSH
• Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide MeSH
• Protein Precursors MeSH

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to compare the early postoperative kinetics of procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) serum levels in patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation (OLTx) with different immunosuppressive regimens. METHODS: PCT and CRP serum concentrations were measured in a group of 28 OLTx recipients before induction of anesthesia, at 4 and 8 hours following graft reperfusion, and daily until postoperative day 4. The same parameters were determined in 12 patients undergoing liver resection without conjunctive immunosuppressive therapy. Summary data are expressed as medians and ranges. Two-tailed nonparametric tests were performed and considered significant at p values of less than 0.05. RESULTS: The highest serum levels of PCT (median 3.0 ng/mL, minimum 1.4 ng/mL, maximum 13.9 ng/mL) were found in patients after OLTx without ATG therapy, on postoperative day 1. In patients with ATG administration, PCT levels were highly increased on postoperative day 1 (median 53.0 ng/mL, minimum 7.9 ng/mL, maximum 249.1 ng/mL). Thereafter, PCT values continuously decreased independently of further ATG administration in both groups of patients. No evidence of infection was present in either group. In 12 patients undergoing liver resection, peak serum PCT levels did not exceed 3.6 ng/mL. CRP serum levels in a group of patients with and without ATG therapy increased significantly on postoperative day 1, followed by a decrease. The highest levels of CRP were found in patients after liver resection on postoperative day 2 and decreased thereafter. CONCLUSION: ATG administration to patients with OLTx is associated with an increase in serum PCT levels, with peak values on postoperative day 1, and this was in the absence of any evidence of infection. The results of this study indicate that ATG immunosuppressive therapy is a stimulus for the synthesis of PCT.

• MeSH
• Antilymphocyte Serum therapeutic use   MeSH
• C-Reactive Protein metabolism   MeSH
• Immunosuppressive Agents therapeutic use   MeSH
• Calcitonin biosynthesis   blood   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide MeSH
• Postoperative Complications blood   prevention & control   MeSH
• Protein Precursors biosynthesis   blood   MeSH
• Liver Transplantation * MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Comparative Study MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Antilymphocyte Serum MeSH
• C-Reactive Protein MeSH
• CALCA protein, human MeSH Browser
• Immunosuppressive Agents MeSH
• Calcitonin MeSH
• Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide MeSH
• Protein Precursors MeSH