INCREASED PRESENCE OF PROCALCITONIN DURING PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS. ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH DISEASE SEVERITY, AND DIABETES COMORBIDITY.

MASSA ESTEFANIA; GALLUCCI GEORGINA; DIAZ ARIANA; BÉRTOLA DIEGO; DERIO MARISA; BOTTASSO OSCAR; D'ATTILIO LUCIANO; BONGIOVANNI BETTINA; BAY MARÍA LUISA

Congreso; Reunion CONJUNTA SAIC. SAI. AAFE. NANOMED-AR.; 2021

SAIC, SAI, AAFE

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be among the top ten leading causes of mortality worldwide being produced by the intracellular bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Previously, we demonstrated that TB patients showed a neuro-immune-endocrine imbalance consisting of elevated plasma levels of proinflammatory cytokines along with an increased cortisol/dehydroepiandrosterone ratio. Former results also revealed elevated lypopolysaccharide (LPS) plasma levels in severe TB. As procalcitonin (PCT) is considered a diagnosis and prognosis biomarker in bacterial infections, we evaluated PCT plasma concentration and its association with cytokine and LPS levels in TB. PCT plasma levels were assessed by an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (Elecsys BRAHMS PCT, Roche) in an autoanalyzer. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were measured by commercial enzimoimmunoassays whereas C reactive protein was assessed by an immunoturbidimetric assay (CRP, Wiener-lab). LPS plasma concentration was studied by using a commercial chromogenic endpoint LPS detection assay. Newly diagnosed TB patients (n=37) exhibited increased PCT and LPS values respect to age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCo, n=20; p=0.0011 and p=0.0007, respectively), mostly in severe cases who showed the highest levels (p