| Objective: To determine predictive values of procalcitonin(PCT),macrophage migration inhibitory factor(MIF),C-reactive protein(CRP),and red blood cell distribution width(RDW) for bacterial infection in systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE) patients.Methods: Blood samples were prospectively collected from 78 patients with SLE who had bacterial infections and 67 patients with SLE who had no evidence of infection from May 2014 to March 2016 in The first affiliated hospital of Nanchang university.Results: The infection group showed significantly higher PCT,CRP,neutral granular cell percentage ratio(NEU%)than the SLE without infection group;In the receiver-operating characteristics analysis of PCT and CRP,the area under the curve was 0.872 and 0.670,respectively;The ideal cutoff value for PCT was 0.055ng/ml,at which the sensitivity(85.9%) and specificity(95.1%) combined the best.CRP indicated the presence of an infection with a sensitivity of 47.4% and a specificity of79.1%,with a cutoff value of 13.90ng/ml.In febrile patients,both PCT and CRP levels in febrile bacteria-infected patients were significantly higher than those of the non-infected patients.In patients with SLEDAI score of >10,both PCT and CRP levels were significant higher in patients with bacterial infection.PCT had no correlation with MIF,ESR,C3,SLEDAI score,RDW levels.MIF had no correlation with PCT and CRP,but had correlation with ESR,C3.The disease activity as well as a combination of infection will lead to elvated level of serum MIF in SLE patients.Conclusion: Both PCT and CRP can diagnose infection in SLE,but PCT has a better sensitivity and specificity;MIF can not diagnose infection in SLE. |
