Procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, and endotoxin after bone marrow transplantation: identification of children at high risk of morbidity and mortality from sepsis

We prospectively evaluated the capacity of serum procalcitonin (PCT), compared with serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and endotoxin, to identify children at high risk for mortality from sepsis after BMT. Of 47 pediatric bone marrow transplantation patients studied, 22 had an uneventful course post-transplant (Group 1), 17 survived at least one septic event (Group 2), and eight died from multiorgan failure (MOF) following septic shock (Group 3). Median concentrations of PCT over the course of the study were 1.3, 15.2, and 102.8 ng/ml, respectively, in each of the three groups (P